[News] Microsoft removing AutoRun to combat spyware

[redbeacon]

Microsoft removing AutoRun feature through Windows Update; more citizens protected by drive-by infection

(commentary by redbeacon from multiple sources)

 

http://s2.kimag.es/share/67992816.png

 

Pop in a software CD-ROM, DVD movie, or even (plug in) a 2GB complimentary promotional thumbdrive provided to you by your company during "family open-house" day. Depending on what you insert or plug in, your computer automatically runs the Halo Wars game without you needing to click anything. If it was a DVD movie, Kung-Fu Panda starts playing automatically. For the thumbdrive, your company's logo appears, and then you are presented with an interactive click-and-see profile of your company, some nice photos that you can click to expand them, and the rest is all digital-yearbook'esque kind of experience.

 

This is all thanks to a feature called Autorun, conceived back in the days of Windows 95. It is a convenient feature that intelligently pops up your software, plays your music and DVDs instantly, and automatically opens up the appropriate stuff on your CD or drives that you need to work on

 

That was 10-years ago for Autorun. And as easy as it is to run stuff that you want, in the other spectrum people who are up to no good created malware and viruses that exploited Autorun.

 

This meant that for example, an infected disk or a pirated software CD that was craftily infected...anything of those sort that you insert into your computer... automatically (gasp!) opens up or runs its virus/malware payload without your knowledge.

 

Although Autorun was a nifty little feature that Microsoft invented back in 1995, a decade later into today they didn't like the way it had the chance to allow viruses and what-not to infiltrate their customer's computers.

 

When we're talking about customers, we're talking about Microsoft Windows: the world's most widely used operating system with a 79% market share worldwide. And yes, these are the same people that share files through stuff like CDs, thumbdrives, portable (USB) hard disks, and any medium that may carry the infected stuff from one infected computer to another.

 

Microsoft has said enough is enough, so they are planning on removing this feature from Windows XP and Vista. The next time you run Windows Update, it will come with a small piece of software to automatically remove Autorun.

 

You can find the Windows Update software from the START menu >> Windows Update.

Alternatively, open up Internet Explorer, and head to this website: http://update.microsoft.com/

 

Taking a step forward into protecting users, Microsoft said they had to do this because "Windows [especially XP] users were 10 times more likely to be infected with a virus/malware"

 

TIP: If you have diligently kept your Anti-virus software on your computer up-to-date, chances are that your good-ol-dog would have caught that malware before it got a chance to unleash havoc on your computer due to that Autorun charade.

 

PS: CD-ROMs are not affected by the Autorun extinction.

[cougar]

Oh good. The solution turn out to be so simple. Why didnt i thought of that.

[kaiq]

I always manually add in 2 folders to my stick - autorun.inf and autorun.bat to prevent malicious autorun from entering my stick.

 

Simple trick, but it works.

[wait4me]

actually can jus disable off autorun

[cougar]

I always manually add in 2 folders to my stick - autorun.inf and autorun.bat to prevent malicious autorun from entering my stick.

 

Simple trick, but it works.

 

Why need 2 folders? Your 2 folders are empty folders? I not IT guy, so dont understand how this works.

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

I always manually add in 2 folders to my stick - autorun.inf and autorun.bat to prevent malicious autorun from entering my stick.

 

Simple trick, but it works.

 

He means files of course - and it's a neat trick.

 

For me, I have never used autorun since the days of win95. It's annoying. When I insert discs I have windows explorer already open anyway.

[kaiq]

Actually I meant folders, cos files can be overwriten. If you noticed on Microsoft XP, Vista, you cannot create a same file with the same extension as a folder name on the same root directory.

 

Eg. If a folder called "happy.txt" exist in c:\ root, you cannot put in the file "happy.txt" in the same root directory.

 

By adding them as folders, when a virus tried to write its autorun file onto the thumbdrive, the file get written into the folder instead (or not successful, can't remember). As a result the malicious autorun will not be activated by autorun anymore since the virus triggering autorun did not manage to go in in the first place.

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Ahh I see, good tip :3

[fion12]

Hahaha! Because of this simple handy function, a lot of my classmates had their thumbdrive infected with a trojan. All of their folders were converted to shortcuts, and most are like pulling their hair out in frustration now.

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Still better than my office computers which accumulate so much malware they cannot be used at all. Like, 5000 malware

 

IT guy come no idea how to fix. I fix myself over lunchtime

[kaiq]

The school is always full of viruses, be it PC or some other flu virus...

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Must tell people to cover their mouth when sneezing. Later computer also got virus (flu).