TweakHound

Computer stuff...

Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

A Few Cool Tools Updated

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Sysinternals Tools Updated
Among the ones updated are TweakHound favs:
Autoruns v13.71
This update to Autoruns, a comprehensive autostart execution point manager, adds Microsoft HTML Application Host (mshta.exe) as hosting image so it displays the hosted image details, and now doesn’t apply filters to hosting images.
Process Monitor v3.33
Procmon v3.33 includes bug fixes for destructive event filtering and is signed with certificate installed in the Win7 trusted roots store.
Process Explorer v16.21
This Process Explorer release includes a fix for an intermittent bug in the Virus Total scanning logic, and is signed with Win7 RTM-compatible certificate.

CCleaner 5.30
v5.30.6063 (16 May 2017)
– Improved Edge Cookie cleaning
– Updated Internet Explorer 10 and 11 History cleaning
– Updated Thunderbird 52 History cleaning
– Updated Windows Explorer MRU Cache cleaning
– Improved SSD detection algorithm
– Optimized Update Checking process
– Minor GUI improvements
– Minor bug fixes

More On Wanna Cry Attacks

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I’d Rather Be Lucky Than Good
Some Geek registered the domain name involved in the attacks and slowed the attacks to a crawl. Despite the articles claim, it did not “put out the fire”. The attack is still alive.

But I’ll repeat myself
At the risk of being crude
There must be fifty ways
To leave your lover…
Get rid of SMB1 dammit!
(Paul Simon – 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover)

***Microsoft – Customer Guidance for WannaCrypt attacks***

XP Patched Too
Hit the link above. Downloads at the bottom of the article.
Below is my XP Pro Virtual Machine.
As you can see I normally have the network connection disabled.
Other steps you can take.
– Disable all Exceptions on the firewall
– Disable the Server service
– Unbind file and printer sharing
There are other steps but XP is supposed to be dead. If you care about security you are only using it in a VM with no internet connection, if at all.

SMB1 Attacks Out There

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A few weeks ago I mentioned how you could remove SMB1 from your computer. There is a serious vulnerability that is now involved in ransom-ware attacks.
1 – Patch all your Windows boxes. ( Microsoft Security Bulletin MS17-010 – Critical )
2 – Get rid of SMB1. Follow the instructions on the following page. ONLY remove SMB1:
How to enable and disable SMBv1, SMBv2, and SMBv3 in Windows and Windows Server

Start10 Updated

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Start10 is a Windows 10 start menu alternative. It is $5 and is my preferred start menu replacement.
Start10 v1.55
– Fix for Desktop menu when Fences is not installed.
– Security update.
– Bug fixes
Download

Tuesday Random Stuff…

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Is Kaspersky Software A National Security Risk?
Apparently some in our intelligence community think so.
“In February, the Department of Homeland Security issued a secret report on the matter to other government agencies. And the FBI is investigating the nature of Kaspersky Lab’s relationship to the Russian government“.
For it’s part Kaspersky “has repeatedly insisted it poses no threat to U.S. customers and would never be used as a government tool.”
I know almost nothing about Russian politics. I have never been to Russia. The closest I ever got to Russia was East Berlin a couple of years before the wall came down.
Having said all that, I can’t imagine anyone in Russia telling President Vladimir Putin or his boys “Nyet“.

Google Chrome Updated
“The stable channel has been updated to 58.0.3029.110 for Windows, Mac, and Linux…In order to improve stability, performance, and security, users who are currently on 32-bit version of Chrome, and 64-bit Windows with 4GB or more of memory and auto-update enabled will be automatically migrated to 64-bit Chrome during this update.”
Download: Google Chrome Web 32-bit    Google Chrome 64-bit

O&O ShutUp10 Version 1.5.1390
Version 1.5.1390 – released on May 09, 2017
– Changing languages now available in the Help Menu
– Adjustments to the UI
– Small bug fixes
– Available in German, English, French, Italian and Russian.
Download

Intel SSD Toolbox 3.4.5
See download page for release info.

Firefox 53.0.2
A few days late with this.
Windows 64-bit (en-US)
Windows 32-bit (en-US)
Other systems and languages

Adobe Flash Updated
APSB17-15 Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player
Download Flash

Wise Disk Cleaner 9.47
– Improved Microsoft Edge Cache and Cookies cleaning.
– Improved Microsoft IE Cache and Cookies cleaning.
– Other minor improvements.
Download

I Need A New PC Case

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I’ve finally had it with my Rosewill Blackhawk-Ultra case (my Amazon review). Looking for a new one. Suggestions/input wanted.
Kinda have green in mind, don’t know why.
Full or mid-tower. Absolute ceiling of $200 but would prefer cheaper.
Saw this on Amazon. Not the cats’s meow or anything but it might work:
Apevia X-SNIPER2-GN ATX Mid Tower

Might even consider going retro. Always liked they look of the old Alienware cases but they are commanding high prices on Craigslist.