Microsoft’s, exaggeration about providing full-proof security over its flagship OS Windows 8 has been cracked. It has been noticed that there is a way to make changes to a user’s account password on the OS.
Yes, you have heard it right. It’s still early days for Windows 8 in the market and such news can create havoc for future sales. The trick lies in no third-party software, but within the OS itself. Even the most secure operating system has flaws, and that too, in the troubleshooting tools.
Yes, the built-in Troubleshooting tools are the culprits that render this technique to hackers. The question that arises next is, how can it be achieved?
Well, just ten minutes and you are through. All you need is a Windows 8 System Recovery Disc or just a USB flash drive together with some adherence to follow and execute some simple directions from the command prompt. The bluff, precisely explained by Jamal Naji, points down to replace the Ease of Access center application (utilman.exe) with another copy of the command prompt (cmd.exe) file.
The remaining steps are as follows:
- Once the swapping is complete from inside the System Recovery gallery and the system is rebooted, you will get to see the Windows 8 login screen again.
- The bottom left hand corner has the Ease of Access button. On clicking it, a command prompt will appear in front of you. Please don’t mistake it to be an ordinary command prompt.
- This command prompt has all the administrative authorization. It gives you the authority to modify items like other user’s passwords.
You thought that the trusted net command won’t oblige? Sorry, but the fact lies somewhere else. Infact, it happily follows the commands and even wipes out a Windows 8 password with ease. On completion of the process, reboot. Don’t forget to restore the utilman.exe with the cmd.exe file to its original state. There you are, ready to jump the wagon.
You thought you could hack only Windows 8. Surprise! Surprise!
This methodology is not unique to Windows 8, but infact, it works well on Windows 7, Windows Vista and even Windows Server 2008.
You might be thinking why hasn’t the giant been able to fix this bug until now? Well, pulling off this stint requires you to hack the utilman password which in any case, is not cakewalk. Trying to hack it, will land you in trouble, even after Microsoft fixes the bug.
This trick works fine, though there are several other methods to reset a Windows password that are relatively easier and faster. The Offline NT Password and Registry Editor, is a Linux- based tool that can make this happen with less effort, where steps are compared and is also time-effective.
Lastly, Microsoft, should infact look into this security breach factor and do something now as it has been into existence since Vista was launched.
Never had thought that Windows could contain such a blunder and that too giving an access to hackers. Would prefer Using Linux instead as my system’s OS.