Windows feature that resets system clocks based on random data is wreaking havoc

Re:Windows feature that resets system clocks based on random... by akira2501 on Wednesday August 16, 2023 @05:16PM (#37153964)

There are public users and owner users. Specifically, you don't trust input from public users. You absolutely should trust input from owner users, or if you won't by default for some reason, you absolutely should give them the option to do so. Primarily, you should be giving them the choice as to what their system will do when it cannot reliably determine the actual time.

The alternative is to pretend that you can somehow divine a 'projected secure time.' Just, the gall to even write a sentence like that.

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Re:Windows feature that resets system clocks based on random... by bob-09 on Wednesday August 16, 2023 @06:04PM (#37154497)

If your goal is to phase out local accounts and force microsoft.com logins as part of the computer setup, being able to trust your certificates seems like a prerequisite to being able to trust your users. And the correct time is a prerequisite to trusting your certificates.

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Re:Windows feature that resets system clocks based on random... by solardev on Thursday August 17, 2023 @01:29AM (#37157610)

This makes no sense..? If the admin wants to change the clock to something else and make their certs invalid, they can always do so. It's just for getting an initial handshake, and then after that NTP should keep working (at least until the next reset with a dead CMOS battery).

There's no way for the server to accurately determine the client's hardware clock, barring some sort of user-hostile hardware clock with a nuclear battery or hardened GPS or radio time receiver or something.

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Re:Windows feature that resets system clocks based on random... by dylan604 on Wednesday August 16, 2023 @06:50PM (#37154918)

>'projected secure time.'

It's 5 o'clock somewhere!

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Re:Windows feature that resets system clocks based on random... by dullcrisp on Wednesday August 16, 2023 @07:15PM (#37155140)

It’s 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z somewhere

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