Windows 11 Snipping Tool "acropalypse" privacy bug exposes cropped image content

Brink · Mar 23, 2023

Microsoft updates Snipping Tool for insiders to fix screenshot-recovery vulnerability

Windows insiders in the Canary Channel can download a new version of Snipping Tool. It is now rolling out with a fix for the screenshot-recovery vulnerability recently spotted in Windows 10 and 11.

www.neowin.net

Edwin · Mar 23, 2023

Brink said:
Microsoft updates Snipping Tool for insiders to fix screenshot-recovery vulnerability

Windows insiders in the Canary Channel can download a new version of Snipping Tool. It is now rolling out with a fix for the screenshot-recovery vulnerability recently spotted in Windows 10 and 11.

www.neowin.net

Good grief! What else is new!

cereberus · Mar 23, 2023

This is pure exaggerated hype!

I just did the crop test several ways (using crop option, cropping from paint, paint3d, phot editor), and every time the image was much smaller!

I am on version 11.2302.4.0 on release version not 11.2302.20.0. Canary is on 11.2302.16.0.

I have yet to find a way of invoking the so called bug!

It must be a pretty obscure bug only affecting a few users.
Assuming MS have fixed it, in this case instead of knocking MS (a common activty here, even by me), people should be pleased they have fixed it.

Of course, the dunderheads who block updates from MS deserve what they get.

ShamrockRig · Mar 23, 2023

Thats funny lol

Ghot · Mar 23, 2023

cereberus said:
people should be pleased they have fixed it.

I think people are upset that it needed to be "fixed" in the first place.
Snipping tool is fairly simple software. That bug should never have made it out the door.

cereberus · Mar 23, 2023

Ghot said:
I think people are upset that it needed to be "fixed" in the first place.
Snipping tool is fairly simple software. That bug should never have made it out the door.

Life is a beach, then you fry!

hsehestedt · Mar 23, 2023

cereberus, in your testing did you overwrite an existing file? It sounds like that is what needs to be done.

For example, grab a screenshot, save it as image.png, then grab a much smaller area and save it to the same file name.

I just tried it, and I clearly have the problem.

Here is what I did: Grabbed a large area of the screen, almost the entire screen and saved it as image.png. Image size is 516KB. Repeated this process but grabbed a postage stamp sized area of the screen. Saved to the same file name. Sure enough, image is still 516KB.

Josey Wales · Mar 23, 2023

I guess if you are not an insider, MS does not care?

pparks1 · Mar 23, 2023

Ghot said:
I think people are upset that it needed to be "fixed" in the first place.
Snipping tool is fairly simple software. That bug should never have made it out the door.

I think problems like this can be harder to find then they seem. Especially in this case, the same type of thing was found in Google's software for the Pixel and in the snipping tool. I think lots of people might be shocked at the number of simple things that have problems, or would have problems in the event that anybody actually went looking for an issue. Most issues are probably just sitting there left undiscovered.

MiguelAngel11 · Mar 23, 2023

hsehestedt said:
cereberus, in your testing did you overwrite an existing file? It sounds like that is what needs to be done.

For example, grab a screenshot, save it as image.png, then grab a much smaller area and save it to the same file name.

I just tried it, and I clearly have the problem.

Here is what I did: Grabbed a large area of the screen, almost the entire screen and saved it as image.png. Image size is 516KB. Repeated this process but grabbed a postage stamp sized area of the screen. Saved to the same file name. Sure enough, image is still 516KB.

I performed the steps recreating the issue mentioned. Yes the cropped image kept the original size. Now, how can I see the cropped area?. Assuming the the issue, because in my case the resulting image kept the original file size, I share the image to someone else, would he/she try to see the cropped area?. Personally I doubt...., besides that in the Canary Channel MS patched the Snipping Tool

Hopachi · Mar 23, 2023

Everything is possible it seems.
I never used the new snip tool but looks like a serious blooper.

On the other hand, I use the old snipping tool from Win 8.1.
Is way more basic with less options. but a crop is a done once by selecting. An overwrite of a file is just an overwrite.

Good thing that they solved the bug.

Wisewiz · Mar 27, 2023

How-To Geek's newsletter announced this morning that the fix for this vulnerability is available to the general user now. Go to MS Store > Library, and Update All. That's supposed to do it.

EDIT: It seems it got updated automatically for all users on Saturday.

Josey Wales · Mar 27, 2023

Mine Got an update yesterday?

Wisewiz · Mar 27, 2023

Well, if you’d move back to Earth from your planet, you’d’a got it sooner, Josey.

Windows 11 Snipping Tool "acropalypse" privacy bug exposes cropped image content

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