Recently, a new vulnerability came to light that compromised the security of sharing edited screenshots. Referred to as “aCropalypse”, the vulnerability was first detected on Pixel devices and addressed by Google in its March security update. In the case of Windows 11’s Snipping Tool, the issue was related to the app’s failure to overwrite cropped PNG data. Microsoft has taken swift action to address the security flaw that could have had dire consequences for users of its Windows 10 and 11 screenshot editing apps. The issue was originally discovered by Chris Blume, a retired software engineer, and reported to Microsoft earlier this week.
Although the vulnerability did not affect all PNG files, it posed a serious risk, as attackers could potentially recover edited images that had been cropped to conceal sensitive information. Microsoft’s patches are similar to Google’s March Android update in that they do not provide protection for images that were created prior to the installation of the updates.
According to Bleeping Computer, Microsoft wasted no time in testing and deploying updates for the affected apps. On Friday, the company began rolling out public updates for Windows 11’s Snipping Tool and Windows 10’s Snip & Sketch app. Users can easily download the updates manually by accessing the Microsoft Store and clicking on “Library,” followed by “Get Updates.” Microsoft is urging all users to install the updates as soon as possible to ensure their devices are protected.
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(Via)
