If your computer has a modern processor and is running Windows 11 or Windows Server 2022, you might lose data.
The Windows operating system seems to have introduced a bug in its file encryption system for computers equipped with a new generation processor.
According to Microsoft, an encryption bug in older versions of Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022 might lead to data corruption. Affected are systems running Ice Lake, Tiger Lake, Rocket Lake processors (CPUs) and AMD’s upcoming Zen 4. These CPUs are the ones that support the brand new VAES (Vector Advanced Encryption Standard) instruction set – so, the new generations of processors.
The VAES, integrated into recent processors, makes it possible to accelerate and secure encryption or decryption operations. The processor is the brain of the computer. It organizes data exchanges between the various components and performs calculations that allow the computer to interact with the user via the screen.
sensitive fleas
According to the company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the problem stems from the addition of “new code paths” to support updated encryption instructions in SymCrypt. There would be an incompatibility within the system that would make chips using the VAES standard as an encryption method susceptible to this problem.
For definition, SymCrypt is the library of basic cryptographic functions of Windows. These functions take advantage of VAES instructions, which provide some data security and serve to speed up cryptographic operations.
More security, less performance
The problematic code paths are present in the initial release of Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022, so the bug shouldn’t affect older versions, such as Windows 10 or Windows Server 2019.
In recent months, two patches have corrected this problem. The June 23 preview update enhancement (KB5014668) and the July 12 security update (KB5015814). Note that these fixes have a negative impact on device performance. Indeed, to fix the Windows 11 bug, Microsoft had no choice but to reduce data processing by VAES technology. The company assures that it will fix this performance problem over the next updates.
Some tips
For those who store hundreds of GB on their PC without performing regular backups to the cloud or external media, the company recommends installing the June 2022 security updates for Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022. “to avoid further damage”. Same advice for those who use Bitlocker services or other types of Microsoft encryption. The risk is to lose all your data. No solution is suggested for people who have already lost their data due to the bug.
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