Windows 11 screenshot flaw could expose sensitive data
Software developer Chris Blume has discovered a screenshot security flaw in Windows 11’s Snipping Tool that could be exploited to access sensitive data.
The tool doesn’t erase cropped PNG image data, meaning malicious actors could potentially recover and view the unused data.
“I’ve got a fun one for you all to look at,” Blume said.
“I opened a 198-byte PNG with Microsoft’s Snipping Tool, chose “Save As” to overwrite a different PNG file (no editing), and saves a 4,762-byte file with all that extra after the PNG IEND chunk.”
Cybersecurity researcher David Buchanan confirmed that extracting the “hidden” data is possible using a modified version of a script demonstrating a similar vulnerability within the Android operating system.
“Windows Snipping Tool is vulnerable to aCropalypse too. An entirely unrelated codebase,” Buchanan said.
“The same exploit script works with minor changes (the pixel format is RGBA not RGB). Tested myself on Windows 11.”
Buchanan and programmer Simon Aarons recently discovered the “aCropalypse” vulnerability in the screenshot editing tool on Google Pixel phones.
The vulnerability doesn’t affect all screenshot files, including optimised images, and users can wipe cropped image data by saving cropped screenshots as another file in an image editor.
JPEG images are also vulnerable to leaving cropped data recoverable. However, the exploit doesn’t work with the image format yet.
Microsoft told BleepingComputer that it is investigating security reports and will “take action as needed” to protect Windows 11 users.
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