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In a Throwback To the '90s, NTFS Bug Lets Anyone Hang Or Crash Windows 7, 8.1 (arstechnica.com)
Windows 7 and 8.1 (and also Windows Vista) have a bug that is reminiscent of Windows 98 age, when a certain specially crafted filename could make the operating system crash (think of file:///c:/con/con). From an ArsTechnica report: The new bug, which fortunately doesn't appear to afflict Windows 10, uses another special filename. This time around, the special filename of choice is $MFT. $MFT is the name given to one of the special metadata files that are used by Windows' NTFS filesystem. The file exists in the root directory of each NTFS volume, but the NTFS driver handles it in special ways, and it's hidden from view and inaccessible to most software. Attempts to open the file are normally blocked, but in a move reminiscent of the Windows 9x flaw, if the filename is used as if it were a directory name -- for example, trying to open the file c:\$MFT\123 -- then the NTFS driver takes out a lock on the file and never releases it. Every subsequent operation sits around waiting for the lock to be released. Forever. This blocks any and all other attempts to access the file system, and so every program will start to hang, rendering the machine unusable until it is rebooted.
I just opened c:\$MFT\123 on my system and nothing bad happ
As I use Windows 10 I doBUY XBOX ONE! ON SALE TODAY ONLY!n't have such problems.
#DeleteFacebook
Try browsing to file:///c:\$MFT\123 in IE and see what happens...
Saw the article and spun up a test VM with Win 7.
Exploit/bug/crash/vulnerability works as advertised. Scary. An easy way to bring down an entire operating system with a bat file and a little startup/service knowledge.
Another consultant who stuck it out.
"We are the Priests, of the Temples of Syrinx..."
You completely screwed up that joke.
It wasn't Windows XP, but rather Windows 95 that would crash after 49.7 days of continuous usage.
I tested this... who wouldn't .
It seems to be harmless when not logged in as an Administrator.
The second I run copy C:\$MFT\123 C:\Users\blah
as Administrator however, filesystem access freezes.
So yeah..... don't run programs as Admin that use random user-specified filenames and you should be fine?
Checking your inputs before working with them? that there is CRAZY talk!
Yup, this works. Just coming back after a hard reboot :o
Sure. Me too.
Then try do something else. Like open iexplore.exe and browse to a webpage.
Pfft. I don't need an NTFS bug for that, it happens on its own.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
$ c:\$MFT\123
c:$MFT123: command not found
$
Will $CURRENT_YEAR be the year of the Linux Desktop?
Just for funsies I loaded up my Windows NT 3.51 VM I have around for no good reason and tried it, and it immediately hard-locked. Must be a very old bug.
I thought it's Windows 10 that crashes after 49.7 days of continuous usage? Except they replaced the blue screen of death with one that says "Please do not turn off your computer. Installing update 3/49"
You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
Unix doesn't use magic fileNAMES. It uses magic files. Naming them is quite arbitrary and there are very few surprises that can result from that. (naming a file "*" is rally asking for trouble...) Now for assumptions programs make about what file contains what, and OS behavior as it accesses these special files... c'mon, rename sda1 to null...
45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
I tried it on some of my 2021R2s with no effects.
I see you're on the super duper doubly secret early release program.
The cesspool just got a check and balance.