Microsoft lost control over the Windows Tiles domain and someone took it
Microsoft introduced Tiles in the Windows Start Menu and Start page when it launched the Windows 8 operating system. Designed to add a dynamic note to the previously static program, service and website links by supporting options to load new tile content regularly, it was a feature that never saw broad adoption by users of Windows.
Many were only exposed to the default list of tiles that Microsoft added to Start profiles; this did not prevent Microsoft from adding support for Live Tiles to Windows 10 as well. Websites and services could support the feature as well so that users who pinned these to Start would receive updated tiles whenever new content became available. While tiles are on their way out, they are still supported in all recent versions of Windows.
A story on German computer site Golem (in English) describes how Golem got its hands on a domain responsible for Tile content delivery to Windows systems because Microsoft failed to protect properly against what is called a subdomain takeover attack.
The takeover gave Golem full control over the content that it delivered to user systems;Â Windows 8 and 10 users can pin supporting websites to Start to receive updates when new content is published.
Golem noted that sites like Engadget, Mail.ru, or the major German news sites Heise or Giga, supported tiles just like many others.
How the attack was carried out
The host responsible for delivering data to Windows devices was notifications.buildmypinnedsite.com; Microsoft appears to have abandoned the domain and while it redirected it to a subdomain of Azure, never registered it with Azure. Golem managed to register the subdomain using a regular Azure account and added corresponding host names to take full control over the Tiles service used to deliver content to user devices.
The magazine contacted Microsoft about the issue but did not receive a response according to the article. It noted that the host received a "decent amount of traffic" and that Golem would not keep the host registered permanently because of running costs.
Golem stopped the web app in the meantime, it returns a 403 this web app is stopped error now so that manipulated content cannot be delivered to user devices at the time.
Windows users may want to deactivate website live tiles (see this tutorial for Windows 8 Live Tiles) if they use any as a consequence, and website owners may want to drop support for the feature as well to protect against potential abuse.
Closing Words
I never thought much of Live Tiles on desktop versions of Windows. While some functionality was appreciated, e.g. getting an up to date weather report by opening Start, most of the functionality did not make much sense on the desktop in my opinion.
A scenario like this should never happen in my opinion, especially not if it has the potential to affect customers negatively.
Now You: What is your take on Live Tiles or dynamic tiles in general?
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help