Re:Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors
by arcfour on Sunday February 01, 2026 @11:49PM
(#46852529)
Ah, so, in addition to turning off automatic updates (everyone knows patches are for wimps! The real threat is supply chain compromise, not 1-days!), you also have taken all of the other necessary steps to protect yourself from the NSA? What if they just compel Microsoft to backdoor Windows/WinGet against you?
And these updaters almost universally use HTTPS, which network-based adversaries can't see except for SNI, and even that's going away...?
Re:Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors
by Lammy on Monday February 02, 2026 @12:24AM
(#46852734)
> What if they just compel Microsoft to backdoor Windows/WinGet against you?
You are confusing cause with effect. Leaking this type of fingerprint data over time is what allows users of Palantir-like systems to decide you're somebody worth individually targeting.
I once worked at a company where the Security team were very proud of this and all the other tricks they used to catch leakers by figuring out who was on campus, where, at what time, usually via fingerprinting personal devices carried alongside corporate devices.