Microsoft on Wednesday urged users of Windows-powered computers to install a freshly released patch to thwart hackers trying to take advantage of a potentially serious flaw in the operating system.

The US software colossus said in a post that hackers could take advantage of the "PrintNightmare" flaw to gain control of computers through the print spooler feature used in workplaces for network printers.

"An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code with system privileges," Microsoft said in an online message about a patch released late Tuesday.

"An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights."

Microsoft called for computer users to immediately install patches, saying all versions of Windows are vulnerable but not all have security updates available yet.

The flaw at issue involves printer software and has been taken advantage of by hackers, according to posts by cybersecurity researchers.

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German academic charged with spying for China
Berlin (AFP) July 6, 2021
A German political scientist has been charged with spying for China by exploiting high-level official contacts made via his position as the head of a think tank, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. The accused, identified only as Klaus L., is suspected of "regularly passing on information to Chinese intelligence ahead of or after state visits or multinational conferences" between 2010 and 2019. Klaus L. had been running a political think tank since 2001, gaining international importance due to hi ... read more