11 Mar, 2026

Microsoft disables File Explorer preview for downloads to block attacks

Microsoft says that the File Explorer (formerly Windows Explorer) now automatically blocks previews for files downloaded from the Internet to block credential theft attacks via malicious documents. The change is already live for users who have installed this month’s Patch Tuesday security updates on Windows 11 and Windows Server systems. As Redmond explains in a support […]

2 mins read

New WinRAR version strips Windows metadata to increase privacy

WinRAR 7.10 was released yesterday with numerous features, such as larger memory pages, a dark mode, and the ability to fine-tune how Windows Mark-of-the-Web flags are propagated when extracting files. WinRAR is a popular file archiver and compression tool for Windows that allows users to create, extract, and manage compressed files, primarily in RAR, ZIP, […]

4 mins read

7-Zip MotW bypass exploited in zero-day attacks against Ukraine

A 7-Zip vulnerability allowing attackers to bypass the Mark of the Web (MotW) Windows security feature was exploited by Russian hackers as a zero-day since September 2024. According to Trend Micro researchers, the flaw was used in SmokeLoader malware campaigns targeting the Ukrainian government and private organizations in the country. The Mark of the Web […]

3 mins read

7-Zip fixes bug that bypasses Windows MoTW security warnings, patch now

A high-severity vulnerability in the 7-Zip file archiver allows attackers to bypass the Mark of the Web (MotW) Windows security feature and execute code on users’ computers when extracting malicious files from nested archives. 7-Zip added support for MotW in June 2022, starting with version 22.00. Since then, it has automatically added MotW flags (special ‘Zone.Id’ alternate data streams) to […]

3 mins read

New Windows Server 2012 zero-day gets free, unofficial patches

Free unofficial security patches have been released through the 0patch platform to address a zero-day vulnerability introduced over two years ago in the Windows Mark of the Web (MotW) security mechanism. Windows automatically adds Mark of the Web (MotW) flags to all documents and executables downloaded from untrusted sources. These MotW labels inform the Windows […]

2 mins read

New Windows SmartScreen bypass exploited as zero-day since March

Today, Microsoft revealed that a Mark of the Web security bypass vulnerability exploited by attackers as a zero-day to bypass SmartScreen protection was patched during the June 2024 Patch Tuesday. SmartScreen is a security feature introduced with Windows 8 that protects users against potentially malicious software when opening downloaded files tagged with a Mark of […]

3 mins read