Hackers exploit a strange error that allows a simple string of text to “corrupt” the hard drive of your Windows 10 or Windows XP computer if you extract a ZIP file, open a specific folder or even click on a Windows shortcut. hacker add the text string to a folder location and when you open it, bam-hard drive problems.
Or at least you one might assume when you see a The “restart to fix hard drive errors” warning appears in Windows 10. Your data may be fine, but you’ll still need to Chkdsk to be sure.
The bug was first discovered and revealed by the security researcher Jonas L, then Will Doorman of the CERT Coordination Center confirmed thisFinding. According to Doorman, the defect is one of many similar problems in Windows 10 that have not been addressed for years. Worse, there are several ways to execute the attack beyond simply opening a folder.
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Conformable Bleeping Computer tests, it seems that the text string is effective even if it is simply a shortcut icon point to a location with corrupt text. You don’t even have to click or open the file; just having it visible on the desktop is enough to execute the attack. The text string also works in ZIP files, HTML files, and URLs.
Microsoft is investigating the issue, but it is not known if or when a solution may appear. As a company spokesman said The Verge:
“We are aware of this issue and will provide an update in a future release. The use of this technique is based on social engineering and, as always, we encourage our customers to practice good online computing habits, including being careful when opening unknown files or accepting file transfers. ”
In the meantime, don’t click on suspicious links or open unknown files. That being said, this is an unusual bug that can be exploited in many ways and the text string may appear in unexpected places.
However, you are not completely screwed up if the bug corrupts your hard drive. You may need to run an automatic or manual scan and repair of the drive, but the whole process may wreak more havoc on your PC than intended. Our advice? Keep your files backed up just in case you come across one strange situation so-or for any unintentional loss of data. You can never be too careful. In this way, if absolutely have to reinstall Windows from scratch, it won’t be a disaster, just a hassle.