Normally, installing a system-wide application requires admin permission before the process can begin. (Thanks to Paul Ducklin (opens in new tab) over at Sophos' Naked Security blog for showing us how to do this.) How this 'hack' works In the pop-up window that follows, title 'Do you want to automatically download manufacturers' apps and custom icons for available for your devices?', Select the radio button labeled 'No (your device might not work as expected)'.Īs you might imagine, taking this more severe route might make installing new hardware - not just gaming mice and keyboards, but also printers, headphones and even USB security keys - a bit more arduous, although not impossible. Select the Hardware tab, then click the button 'Device Installation Settings'. This will spawn a box labeled 'System Properties'. To really make sure this can't happen to your machine, log on as an administrator, go to System > Settings > About and click the Advanced System Settings link. But you might want to shut off your PC when you've got a lot of company over. Home PCs are under less threat from this kind of attack, due to there being fewer potential users around. To avoid having your PC pwned by gaming peripherals, make sure you lock the screen of your workplace PC when you step away from your desk. Microsoft needs to fix this privilege-escalation situation before more problems like this pop up, as they almost certainly will.

This is instead a Microsoft issue, because Windows isn't distinguishing between hardware drivers (which normally don't need admin permissions to install) and peripheral-related desktop software (which should need admin permission). Those companies are just trying to get their software installed quickly. However, this flaw isn't the fault of SteelSeries or Razer. It's when processes or users gain powers they shouldn't have. In cybersecurity terms, this is called privilege escalation or escalation/elevation of privileges.

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