September 13th, 2007
Confirmation of stealth Windows Update
Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 3:46 am Categories: Microsoft, Stealth Update Tags: Microsoft Windows Update, Information Technology, Update, Stealth, Microsoft Windows, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
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82 votes Worthwhile?
I can now confirm that the stealth Windows Update that I blogged about yesterday actually exists - because I’ve detected its presence on a machine at the PC Doc HQ.
At the PC Doc HQ we have several systems set not to update. This is so that they are kept at a specific patch level for testing duties. Many of these systems are virtual machines but some are physical. When I heard about this stealth update I decided to take a look at one of these systems that don’t update automatically - and within seconds I found what I was looking for.
Which files are updated depends on the OS you are running. The updated files on Vista are:
- wuapi.dll
- wuapp.exe
- wuauclt.exe
- wuaueng.dll
- wucltux.dll
- wudriver.dll
- wups.dll
- wups2.dll
- wuwebv.dll
And on XP SP2:
- cdm.dll
- wuapi.dll
- wuauclt.exe
- wuaucpl.cpl
- wuaueng.dll
- wucltui.dll
- wups.dll
- wups2.dll
- wuweb.dll
The test system was running Windows XP SP2. Reports and rumors suggest that this update was being pushed out on or around the 24th of August so I fired up Event Viewer and scrolled down to this date … and here’s what I found:
Here’s the entry showing the update kicking off.
Update completed successfully - but not the lack of information regarding the update.
Here’s one of the updated files.
These updates without notification is a slippery slope. I just don’t like the idea of having updates foisted upon systems without being aware that they are coming in and having the option to postpone them. Why? Simple. IT’S MY PC!!! If a user chooses not to have updates installed automatically, Microsoft needs to respect this decision. Period. If this is not possible, notifications should be made after the update has been installed clearly identifying the updates, describing what it does and giving users a way to roll back the system if they want to.
Stealth updates - Right or wrong?
- Wrong (95%)
- Right (5%)
Total Votes: 3,752
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Adrian is a technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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