Wednesday Newsbytes: New Emergency Chrome Update; Microsoft Patch Tuesday Fixes 59 Flaws; Background Remover Coming to MS Paint; Google Chrome’s Getting a Facelift… and more!
Every day we scan the tech world for interesting news in the world of technology and sometimes from outside the world of technology. Every Wednesday, we feature news articles that grabbed our attention over the past week. We hope you find this week’s ‘Wednesday Newsbytes’ informative and interesting!
Everything you need to know about Chrome’s latest zero-day emergency and update patch
Chrome’s zero-day crisis: urgent update
Google has just had to release a Chrome update comprised of multiple emergency security updates because of zero-day vulnerabilities – for the fourth time this year.
Zero-day vulnerabilities in software (in this case, Chrome) are vulnerabilities that are already known to the wider public and assumed to be known by bad actors. It’s also assumed those bad actors are either actively trying to or already exploiting those vulnerabilities. The “zero-day” refers to developers having zero days ahead of the wider audience in terms of knowing about and being able to address the bug. Here’s what is known about this particular zero-day loophole so far:
The vulnerability has been labelled CVE-2023-4863 by Google, and according to Help Net Security, it’s a ‘critical heap buffer overflow vulnerability’ in Chrome’s code. It explains that buffer overflows can cause crashes and infinite loops, and these moments of overwhelm can be exploited to deploy arbitrary code.
Google brought this issue to attention in its Chrome Releases blog, where the Chrome team publishes news directly. SecurityWeek reports that the exploit was rated as “critical severity”…
Microsoft September 2023 Patch Tuesday fixes 2 zero-days, 59 flaws
Today (Tuesday, September 12, 2023) is Microsoft’s September 2023 Patch Tuesday, with security updates for 59 flaws, including two actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities.
While twenty-four RCE bugs were fixed, Microsoft only rated five as ‘Critical’ — four remote code execution flaws and Azure Kubernetes Service elevation of privilege vulnerability.
The number of bugs in each vulnerability category is listed below:
3 Security Feature Bypass Vulnerabilities
24 Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities
9 Information Disclosure Vulnerabilities
3 Denial of Service Vulnerabilities
5 Spoofing Vulnerabilities
5 Edge – Chromium VulnerabilitiesThe total count of 59 flaws does not include five Microsoft Edge (Chromium) vulnerabilities two non-Microsoft flaws in Electron and Autodesk.
To learn more about the non-security updates released today, you can review our dedicated articles on the new Windows 11 KB5030219 cumulative update and Windows 10 KB5030211 updates released.
Two actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities
This month’s Patch Tuesday fixes two zero-day vulnerabilities, with both exploited in attacks and one of them publicly disclosed.
Microsoft classifies a vulnerability as a zero-day if it is publicly disclosed or actively exploited with no official fix available…
Read more at Bleeping Computer.
Microsoft finally took our advice and Paint will be better for it
Background removal in Paint is the new Magic Select.
Microsoft Paint is finally testing background removal, the killer feature of Microsoft’s Paint 3D that we hoped they’d save. And they finally have!
In 2021, Microsoft pulled Paint 3D from Windows, ending its run of 3D VR applications. Unfortunately for Microsoft, Windows Mixed Reality bombed and they began quietly removing apps like Paint 3D and 3D Viewer. (Paint 3D lives on as a Microsoft Store app, however.)
The idea behind Paint 3D and 3D Viewer was that you would create VR holograms that could be viewed by either the HoloLens or a third-party ecosystem of VR hardware. Paint 3D was fun, even though the idea of 3D dioramas never caught on.
But Paint 3D’s best feature, Magic Select, had nothing to do with 3D. Magic Select was a 2D feature, a Photoshop-like way to lasso a particular part of a scene, like a person, and edit them out of the photo. In 2019, this was pretty revolutionary. Since then, this function is now part of Adobe Photoshop; Google Photos’ Magic Eraser, which is now a Google One perk, and other editing apps…
Background Removal in Paint hasn’t hit your desktop yet, even if it most likely will. If you’re a Windows Insider in the Canary or Dev Channels, you can download the new version of Paint (version 11.2306.30.0) and start using the new tool, which will appear in the Image section. Paint will use AI to remove what it thinks is the subject of the image so that you can use it elsewhere. Alternatively, you can use the rectangle select tool to do the same…
Google Chrome is about to undergo a major change that will change how you use it
The popular browser is getting a long-awaited facelift with new features and safety measures.
Those of us who are old enough to remember the internet making a sound every time it would boot up are probably also old enough to remember when there were different browsers — a lot of them.
Let us harken back to the days of old, when Internet Explorer, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, and yes, even Netscape Navigator were widely in use rather than simply memes about those living in the dark ages.
These days, one web browser rules them all. While Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer (technically) are still around, a majority of the world now turns to Google Chrome when they access the worldwide web. With over 62% market share, Google’s beloved internet browser has become unanimous with its also heavily-used search engine…
Google Chrome gets a major update
It’s hard to believe that Google Chrome is just a year away from legal driving age, but in September the browser turns 15. In honor of its birthday, Google Chrome will receive a slew of updates and feature additions to help digital citizens keep browsing smoothly…
How Does Windows 11’s New Backup Feature Work?
Windows 11 has a revamped backup method, but is it better than Microsoft’s previous backup systems?
The backup options available to you in Windows have evolved with time. Legacy options offered creating a complete copy of the Windows PC or backing up some folders, but the new ones shifted to cloud backup options. However, Microsoft is testing a full-fledged app for creating and managing backups.
Instead of manually copying every file or creating a gigantic system image, you can manage backups of most of the personal data of your Windows PC within a single app. Wondering how the app works and what data it can back up? Let’s find out.
What Is the New Windows Backup App?
Windows 11 already has a backup section in the Settings app that offers the option to save all your device preferences, remember your apps and settings, and store all your personal files in OneDrive. The Windows Backup app brings all these options under one shed as an app. So, it becomes easier for users to select what to back up without opening the Settings app.
After backing up all the necessary files and settings, you can restore it using the OOBE experience page. It appears after you sign in to your Microsoft Account while installing or resetting your Windows PC.
How to Use the Windows Backup App
Windows Backup App was previously available in the Canary and Dev Insider channels. But now it is available for the Beta channel as well. You must update to the Insider build 22631.2262 to get access to the Windows Backup app…
Microsoft Edge tests “AI-writing” on Windows 11, powered by ChatGPT & Bing AI
Microsoft Edge could soon change the world of blogging, journalism and email writing with a new tool, “AI-writing”. As first spotted by Windows Latest, this feature, powered by ChatGPT’s GPT-4 and Bing AI, uses Microsoft’s in-house AI and ML technologies to help you write on the web.
You can soon select texts on any web page and ask Microsoft Edge to rewrite them in your preferred tone, length and more. Microsoft Edge’s AI writing is fully customizable and works like the Compose Box, accessible via the sidebar. However, the primary difference between both features is AI writing is integrated into the web.
With AI integration in Edge, you can quickly generate ideas for writing, elaborate, rewrite, change tone, format and more. The tech giant seems to be A/B testing it with a select group of users, and only some have access to it. It is available in the Canary version of Chromium Edge.
Once you have turned on “AI-writing” in Settings, select texts in a text box and click “Rewrite”. Edge will generate a new version of the chosen texts, and you can insert it into the text box or make changes using AI contextual buttons…
Read the rest at Windows Latest.
Thanks for reading this week’s Wednesday Newbytes. We hope these articles were informative, interesting, fun, and helpful. Darcy & TC
