Windows 10 is using your bandwith

Fightsback

More windows update hackery, secure (cough) server grade (WSUS) this time.

http://www.contextis.com/documents/161/CTX_WSUSpect_White_Paper.pdf

Still think torrent updates a good idea ?

securityguy

Jivesinger wrote: »

True, but it is quite an important reason for those of us who *do* have a limited data allowance, especially at the moment when there is a lot of Windows 10 update traffic, so it is definitely worth the OP highlighting the issue.

Which ISPs that meter upstream? I admit I use a boutique ISP, so their policies may be different, but for me with a (large, but finite) limit it's done solely on downstream traffic.

gjchester

Fightsback wrote: »

More windows update hackery, secure (cough) server grade (WSUS) this time.

http://www.contextis.com/documents/161/CTX_WSUSpect_White_Paper.pdf

Still think torrent updates a good idea ?

Not sure how that is relevant in this context.

WSUS is for inside organisations so they update from an internal location, not all going to Microsoft Update.

The report itself says-

These are serious weaknesses;however WSUS installations are protected against these attacks if Microsoft’s post-installation guidelines are followed.


So not only have Microsoft found the fault, but have a set of guidelines that mitigate it. They can't control what any given sysadmin will have set their system up as.

Fightsback

gjchester wrote: »

Not sure how that is relevant in this context.

WSUS is for inside organisations so they update from an internal location, not all going to Microsoft Update.

The report itself says-

These are serious weaknesses;however WSUS installations are protected against these attacks if Microsoft’s post-installation guidelines are followed.


So not only have Microsoft found the fault, but have a set of guidelines that mitigate it. They can't control what any given sysadmin will have set their system up as.

Robotically and automatically trusted at the Kernel level is the point and that WU is hot on the radar. Don't think it a good idea to have P2P updates on by default.

ChiefGrasscutter

securityguy wrote: »

Which ISPs that meter upstream? I admit I use a boutique ISP, so their policies may be different, but for me with a (large, but finite) limit it's done solely on downstream traffic.

If you are on a say BT or Plusnet metered tarriff the meter is running on ALL data transferred either way so that is both upload and download.
Already people have been caught out on some apple thingy uploading vast amounts of data taking them over their monthly allowance.

ChiefGrasscutter

Fightsback wrote: »

Invaluable stuff for industrial espionage.

Goodness knows what the corporate world is going to make of all of this.

25 years ago we were using hand encrypted faxes when abroad in certain places as we did not trust the hotel fax service/people not to be reporting back what we were saying to our HQ.

S0litaire

Just wondering something,

If you are bothered about it using (Bandwidth / Electricity / CPU cycles) when you're not using it, then why leave it on in the first place?

If you're not using set it to power down/Standby after 5 mins if non-use.

Or manually put it into standby or power it off completely. It only takes a a short time to boot up (It's all relative!).

I only power my Win10 box to play games and do a bit of work with Windows only software. (I use a Linux box the majority of the time but it's too low powered to get any decent speed out of a Windows VM So I have a full Blown Windows PC for that stuff.)


Or am I missing something in this conversation?!? ^__^

securityguy

ChiefGrasscutter wrote: »

Goodness knows what the corporate world is going to make of all of this..

Nothing. All the functionality would be blocked at the firewall. You don't allow arbitrary connection (indeed, any connections) into client devices. I presume this only works in home environments because of uPnP, where applications running on client devices can invite connections back in: no-one, just no-one, remotely competent will run uPnP on a corporate boundary.

Fightsback

securityguy wrote: »

Nothing. All the functionality would be blocked at the firewall. You don't allow arbitrary connection (indeed, any connections) into client devices. I presume this only works in home environments because of uPnP, where applications running on client devices can invite connections back in: no-one, just no-one, remotely competent will run uPnP on a corporate boundary.

Go tell it to Airbus and the $6bn lost contract after NSA spying using Echelon.

RumRat

Enough already.........The danger of reading too much, is evident here. Showing off the fact that you read obscure papers is not moving anything forward.
Hardly any of it relevant for Joe public just living a normal daily life. It's probably best left for Geeky nerds on technical sites to discuss.