Security researcher Kevin Beaumont had the opportunity to test the Recall feature of Windows 11, which was unveiled at the Copilot+ PC event and found a potential risk of personal data leakage or theft.
The functioning of Recall involves capturing screenshots at intervals and using OCR to read the on-screen text (if it’s an image, Azure AI model is used to read the image to identify it, processed locally). This text is then stored in a SQLite database on the machine for easy reference later.
The files stored in SQLite are plaintext files that are not encrypted. Even though the data on the drive is encrypted according to Windows standards (specifically encrypted at rest), it needs to be decrypted when accessed, which opens up the possibility for other users on the same machine to extract the SQLite files from the user’s private folders. The only protection in place is the Windows UAC system (which an admin user can easily bypass).
Microsoft stated to the media that a hacker cannot remotely extract Copilot+ Recall activity. However, the reality is that it’s quite easy for hackers to automate the process of extracting this plain text database containing all user activities on their PC.
Ars Technica website had the chance to test the actual Recall feature on a Windows Dev Kit 2023 machine and found that Beaumont’s claims were indeed true. Apart from the risk of access by other users on the same machine, there is also the potential for PCs to be infected with viruses or malware that can extract the SQLite database files.
The concern raised by Beaumont and Ars Technica is that Recall continuously captures screenshots, which could inadvertently store sensitive information (e.g., passwords) on the screen. Despite Microsoft having some safeguards in place, such as detecting password fields and the ability to exclude unwanted apps, there are still vulnerabilities present (e.g., passwords sent in chat messages). Furthermore, with the development of scripts like TotalRecall, the risk of data leakage has increased significantly.
Following the launch of Recall, there were reports that the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) of the United Kingdom expressed concerns about privacy data leakage and requested Microsoft to address this issue.
TLDR: Security researcher Kevin Beaumont discovered potential risks of personal data leakage or theft with the Recall feature of Windows 11, despite Microsoft’s claims of security measures in place. The feature stores plain text data in SQLite files, making it vulnerable to extraction by other users on the same PC or malicious software. The development of extraction scripts like TotalRecall further exacerbates the risk of data leakage. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has requested clarification from Microsoft regarding this privacy concern.
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