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Secure Boot

4 stories
BlackX Bootkit Revives BlackLotus Tactics — Why Secure Boot Isn’t Enough

BlackX Bootkit Revives BlackLotus Tactics — Why Secure Boot Isn’t Enough

Hackers have resurfaced techniques associated with the BlackLotus bootkit in a new implant named BlackX, using a boot‑level exploitation chain to bypass Windows Secure Boot and deploy espionage malware against diplomatic organizations in Central Asia. The campaign, observed in early 2026, targeted agencies in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Researchers tied the campaign to APT41 with medium confidence and highlighted a protection gap: affected machines were fully patched, yet vulnerable boot…

Saugata Datta4 min read122
BlackX Bootkit: How Attackers Bypass Windows Secure Boot on Patched Systems

BlackX Bootkit: How Attackers Bypass Windows Secure Boot on Patched Systems

A sophisticated UEFI bootkit called BlackX has been observed in targeted cyberespionage campaigns against diplomatic organizations in Central Asia. Even on systems that showed up-to-date Windows patches, attackers found a path to run code before Windows started by exploiting gaps in how Secure Boot protections were deployed. The discovery highlights a subtle but critical distinction between installing updates and fully activating the firmware-level protections those updates are intended to enable.…

Saugata Datta4 min read191
Windows 11 Dev Build 26300.8170 Brings Clearer Secure Boot Visibility and Bigger FAT32 Drives

Windows 11 Dev Build 26300.8170 Brings Clearer Secure Boot Visibility and Bigger FAT32 Drives

Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 Insider Preview for the Dev Channel, build 26300.8170, focuses on practical visibility and storage usability rather than flashy new features. For security-minded users and administrators, the standout change is a revamped Secure Boot display in Windows Security that finally gives clear, at-a-glance information about firmware-level protections and certificate health. Complementing that, the build addresses long-standing storage annoyances—most notably removing the 32GB FAT32 formatting limit via command…

Saugata Datta4 min read441
Windows Secure Boot: A practical playbook for certificates expiring in 2026

Windows Secure Boot: A practical playbook for certificates expiring in 2026

Microsoft’s Secure Boot certificates issued in 2011 are approaching their expiration window in 2026. While affected devices will continue to boot and receive regular Windows updates, they will stop receiving new protections for the pre-boot environment — updates to Windows Boot Manager, Secure Boot DB/DBX revocations, and mitigations for newly discovered boot-level vulnerabilities. Many newer PCs already include the 2023 certificates, but organizations should act now to inventory, monitor, pilot,…

Saugata Datta5 min read454
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