Microsoft Remembered Continues to Secretly Collect Credit Card Details and Passwords
In a recent in-depth security test, The Register's Avram Piltch discovered that Microsoft's AI tool, Recall, is not consistently effective at filtering out sensitive data. The tool, which is scheduled for public beta release in April, has been found to capture sensitive information such as credit card numbers, passwords, and other private content.
The filter in Recall appears to rely on visual hints like the word "password" to recognize when sensitive information is on screen. However, if keywords aren't displayed as expected or they're completely missing, there's a decent chance the filter won't work. This poses a significant security risk, especially if a malicious party gains access to the system.
Piltch's test also revealed that Recall screenshots are accessible to anyone with the user's PIN or via remote access, exacerbating privacy concerns. For instance, he was able to remotely access Recall screenshots on his Copilot+ PC after signing into Windows Hello with just a PIN.
One of Piltch's tests involved Recall screenshotting a text document with a list of usernames and passwords that weren't labeled. Another test caught Recall screenshotting a bank account page showing balance and transaction information. Even without the corresponding account login info, such data could still be useful to a hacker.
Microsoft has made security updates to Recall, including adding a filter to block recording of passwords, credit card info, social security numbers, and similar sensitive data. However, these updates seem to have done little to alleviate the ongoing privacy and security concerns surrounding the tool.
In fact, browsers like Brave and ad-blockers such as AdGuard have blocked Recall by default, further underscoring the apprehensions. Microsoft also provides options to disable Recall completely, including via Group Policy in Windows 11 Pro.
Given these findings, the safest and smartest move, as of now, is to keep Recall completely turned off, especially for users handling sensitive data.
Stevie Bonifield, a freelance tech journalist specializing in mobile tech, gaming gear, and accessories, conducted this analysis. Outside of writing, Stevie enjoys indie games, TTRPGs, and building custom keyboards.
Despite Microsoft's efforts to improve the tool after initially pulling it from release due to security issues, Recall remains problematic in securely protecting sensitive information in practice. It's a reminder that privacy and security should always be top priorities when developing and using AI tools.
- Despite Avram Piltch's discovery of Microsoft's Recall tool's inadequacies in filtering sensitive data, Microsoft has made updates, but they seem to have done little to alleviate ongoing privacy and security concerns.
- The filter in Recall, which relies on visual hints like the word "password" to identify sensitive information, isn't effective if keywords aren't displayed or are missing, posing a significant security risk.
- Browsers like Brave and ad-blockers such as AdGuard have blocked Recall by default, further underscoring the apprehensions regarding the tool's security and privacy issues.
- Given the findings, it is advisable for users handling sensitive data to keep Recall completely turned off, as it remains problematic in securely protecting such information in practice.
