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Microsoft Edge loads your passwords into memory in plaintext, but Microsoft says not to worry
(www.windowscentral.com)
Fuck Microslop Fuck windows 11
this post was submitted on 06 May 2026
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This is sort of like saying "I leave my valuables in plain sight by my door because it has a lock on it and door locks are trustworthy." I'm not super into cyber security and stuff but it seems like one of the most common problems is programs managing to get access to memory they shouldn't have access to. It seems to happen all the time! Just like many locks for you door are trash.
Defense in depth is a concept they teach you in cybersecurity 101. But that's expensive and time consuming, so you end up with shit like this.
It’s ridiculous. It presupposes that cybersecurity doesn’t value or employ defense in depth. Completely untrue.
Look at the attack vector researchers were trying to solve when they created OAuth2.0 w/ PKCE.
And yet you and most people use a door with a lock instead of something more secure because... in general they do work well for the purpose they're trying to serve. Most criminals aren't master criminals, and master criminals aren't coming after your house.
Don't overthink the metaphor. These things are fragile and fall apart. The "door with a lock" is the "guarantee" (wink wink) that the operating system won't let programs see memory they shouldn't be allowed to. Putting your valuables in a safe instead of sitting in the floor would be encrypting the passwords in memory in the metaphor.
Also, cyber security and physical security are very different. With cyber security you need to understand that there are orders of magnitude more people looking for simple problems. Like a criminal checking every door in the world automatically, just looking for ones that are unlocked. Someone not being a "target for master criminals" isn't really applicable for this. Besides, that's a critique of what level of security an individual should have, but pointing out the flaw in Edge is a critique of something that claims to be secure that isn't.
fair
I extracted IE6 passwords from hundreds of people when I was 13, for fun. If passwords are now being stored plaintext again, they are going to leak. Some of the people who steal those passwords won't be doing it just for fun.
to be honest passwords on their own are on their way out as a form of security entirely for this reason - they're inherently weak no matter how they're stored as they're a single point of failure. we're even moving on from 2 factor to passkeys.
"Yeah totally secure! Just trust me!.." basically
This is LITERALLY isn't secure; they should atleast make it encrypted. This is just the same as using your notes app as password manager! But it's microsoft, and they're willingly giving your bitlocker encryption key to the FBIs for your drives. So I'm not surprised..
I feel it may be worse than using your notes app.
A malicious attack doesn't know which notes app, nor the filename.
This has every browser opening the exact same passwords.txt in root.
You guys are using edge?
Edge is on my computer, and I can't delete it, at least not with my limited IT experience. It's buried deep in the operating system, and it opens up seemingly randomly, I use firefox.
Looking online about getting rid of it, others described it as cancer.
It's not that hard, all you need is usb drive and choosing a distro (the hard step)
The solution is to use Linux Mint.
Not sure how it works in Win11 but historically it has not been possible to remove Internet Explorer or Edge from Windows.
phew it’s an expected feature, thank goodness!!!
if they patch this, they should be dragged through the town square after that comment
It's an expected feature for me too, in that I expect Microsoft to be fucking useless at everything lol
Everytime I read a Microsoft headline these days
That's the added trust and security they always boast about
trust is multiplicative, not additive
How will the NSA spy on you if Microsoft doesn't hand them your passwords?
Trust me bro
Safety and security are foundational to Microsoft Edge. Access to browser data as described in the reported scenario would require the device to already be compromised. Design choices in this area involve balancing performance, usability, and security, and we continue to review it against evolving threats.
"We value user safety and usability, but if you're already compromised you can go fuck yourself"
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M365 chat also fetches a copy of whatever secured file links you send to each other. Goes without saying, but never use Microsoft products if you value security.
I haven't used a Microsoft browser or operating syatem in almost 25 years.
aside from when i was working in IT, same. My personal devices are linux or macos.
I've actually never met a vegan who acts like this.. linux users however
True, and I've met many of both groups. Vegans are usually pretty chill.
Microsoft SSH agent persistently stores your unencrypted private keys in the registry. They're still there unlocked and usable after you reboot.
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Nothing in this timeline surprises me any more.
Lucky. I have surprise fatigue lol
I just can't be indifferent to reading news like "US To Start Firing Unspayed and Neutered Dogs Into The Ocean From Florida Coast"
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I don’t worry, I just don’t use Edge or Windows or any MS software really (except for Teams at work)
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2026 is gonna be the year I finally move to Linux. I have huge concerns about many aspects of switching, but they're being overtaken by concerns about staying with Windows. I don't even mind if my overall user experience is a bit worse on Linux (I am trying to have reasonable expectations that it won't be the walk in the park Linux advocates on Lemmy like to claim), I just have much more faith in its security, privacy, customisability and - most importantly - the motivations and intentions of its developers.
Controversial take from someone who dual boots windows and linux on my home PC and uses macs as work machines but, honestly windows is fine. IMO if you're the kind of person who cares about a good running machine you'll have configured settings and gotten rid of the bloatware and done a bunch of stuff to make windows a relatively decent experience anyway, and linux requires a similar amount of effort to get running the way you want it also, but can be a differently polished experience.
Modern OS's are much of a muchness in practice with regards to their pros and cons. Please don't downvote me to hell linux lovers, it's my honest opinion after decades of use of all three.
I switched my mom to Linux because teaching her how to use Linux as her daily driver was easier than trying to unfuck windows on her computer.
Back up your data and then go nuts.
Best of luck! If you've got questions or problems feel free to DM me (or reply here) and I'll try to help as best I can. I've been using linux since the mid 90s, so I have a decent idea of how it all works :)
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does this company intentionally want users to stop using it? cuz day by day either theres a new windows bug or just shittier softwares
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How can a company manage to be so bafflingly incompetent and why are there people out there still standing for it.
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