MotW
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 […]
WinRAR flaw bypasses Windows Mark of the Web security alerts
A vulnerability in the WinRAR file archiver solution could be exploited to bypass the Mark of the Web (MotW) security warning and execute arbitrary code on a Windows machine. The security issue is tracked as CVE-2025-31334 and affects all WinRAR versions except the most recent release, which is currently 7.11. Mark of the Web is […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]