Microsoft’s forthcoming feature called Recall, designed to help users find anything they have seen on their computer, has sparked privacy and cybersecurity concerns. The feature uses Windows Copilot Runtime to periodically take screenshots and store them locally, allowing users to find previously viewed content by describing it. However, security experts argue that the feature can pose significant risks, as the stored content, which could include sensitive data, is not encrypted and can be accessed by anyone with administrative rights.
The Recall feature uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to extract and store data in plain text in the AppData folder. According to security researcher Kevin Beaumont, this level of access could easily be exploited by cybercriminals. Beaumont demonstrated the ease with which an outsider can access your Recall data and scorned Microsoft for setting cybersecurity back and endangering customers.
Microsoft responded to these concerns, stating that a hacker could not remotely access Copilot+ Recall activity. However, Beaumont responded, stressing the sheer ease with which a hacker could easily exfiltrate this plain text database containing all the user’s viewed data.
Interestingly, Beaumont also shared a video where Microsoft’s own engineers easily accessed the data in the folder during a company demonstration, without any superior hacking skills required. This, he believes, could enable threat actors to automate the scraping of a user’s data in mere seconds.
According to Beaumont, the Recall feature, which could effectively breach data on a mass scale, could be exploited by cybercriminals looking to sell sensitive data, like customer details from insurance companies. In essence, he warned of “AI-powered super breaches,” facilitated by software preinstalled and enabled by Microsoft itself.
There has been considerable backlash to the Recall feature’s planned roll-out from both privacy advocates and security professionals. Due to this pushback, it’s possible that Microsoft will retract the Recall feature before its planned release later this month. These revelations illustrate the ongoing balance between convenience and security when it comes to digital technology. Microsoft’s attempt to facilitate user interface and experience may have inadvertently threatened the safety of their users’ data.
