Windows 10
Windows Subsystems for Linux (WSL) has allowed several people to become familiar with various commands of the quintessential open source operating system, Linux, within Windows 10. Apparently, Microsoft continues to strongly believe in this project, so much so that it continues to update it and constantly improve support for native Linux applications within Windows, making life easier for developers.As reported by colleagues by Bleeping Computer, Craig Loewen, Windows Developer Platform Manager, said:
In the latest builds for members of the Windows Insider Preview program, you can install everything you need to run WSL simply by running the “wsl.exe - install “. We are thrilled to announce that this feature is now officially supported in Windows 10 version 2004 and later which will make installing WSL on those builds much easier!
To access this new feature, you must own Windows 10 2004 or later and install the KB5004296 cumulative preview update, which also includes various gaming-related fixes. Once the command is executed, you will have Ubuntu as the default distribution and the latest WSL kernel.
Once you have installed the WSL package, to update it all you have to do is execute the command "wsl –update", while with “wsl –update rollback” you can upgrade to an older version of the kernel. Finally, with “wsl –status” all the information regarding your configuration will be displayed on the screen.
We remind you that Microsoft, on the occasion of the Build 2021 event, announced the availability of support for Linux applications equipped with GUI. This feature is very important, as it allows users to use native Linux GUI editors, tools and software on Windows 10 as well.
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Windows 10 PrintNightmare continues with yet another exploit
Despite Microsoft's patch, researchers continue to find ways to exploit the PrintNightmare vulnerability on Windows 10.
The Windows print spooler vulnerability continues to be exploited by researchers. Security researcher Benjampin Delpy found several ways to bypass and take advantage of the vulnerability known as PrintNightmare. Delpy recently shared a video showing that an exploit allows people to effectively gain administrative privileges on a PC.
Microsoft issued a critical security patch for the PrintNightmare vulnerability, but researchers have found ways around it. Delpy's workaround involves a print server that can install a print driver. This driver can then launch a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) file with SYSTEM privileges.
BleepingComputer installed the print driver in question and saw the same results as Delpy. Despite the test computer being a fully patched PC running the latest version of Windows 10, a user with standard privileges was able to disable Windows Defender and gain full SYSTEM privileges.
Delpy's method lets anyone who installs the remote print driver gain administrative privileges on a PC. This access could be used in several ways, including creating new users, installing software, or deploying ransomware on a PC.
Delpy told BleepingComputer that he's trying to pressure Microsoft to release fixes for the vulnerability.
A CERT advisory from Will Dormann outlines multiple mitigations for the vulnerability:
The advisory breaks down each option in more technical detail. We also have a guide on how to mitigate the PrintNightmare vulnerability that we update as more information comes in.