How to protect yourself against the Widows Metadata vulnerability

[jim3775]

There is a critical unpatched vulnerability in windows that can affect your computer by simply viewing a certain image file. There are already dozens of websites that are hosting an image file that can install trojans and fake anti-spyware software (software that tells you your computer can be un-infected by entering a credit card number). You are still vulnerable if you do not use internet explorer.

Here is how to deal with it and protect yourself:
(all steps are taken from the US computer readiness team and this microsoft bulletin )

1. Uninstall google desktop if you use it. It's automatic indexing will execute the infected image file.

These next steps will break the windows picture and fax viewer but it is the only way to protect yourself short of http filtering.

2.Click Start, click Run, type "regsvr32 -u %windir \system32\shimgvw.dll" (without the quotation marks), and then click OK.

3. A dialog box appears to confirm that the un-registration process has succeeded. Click OK to close the dialog box.

4. As a replacement for the built in image viewer download irfanview a freeware image viewer.

Once Microsoft has issued a patch you can make the image and fax viewer work again by replaceing the text in Step 1 with “regsvr32 %windir%\system32\shimgvw.dll” (without the quotation marks).

This is very important, please keep this kicked.