L3gsman, Author at

WordPress 5.0.2 is here

L3gsman — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 13:24:48 +0000

WordPress 5.0.2 is now available!

5.0.2 is a maintenance release that addresses 73 bugs. The primary focus of this release was performance improvements in the block editor: the cumulated performance gains make it 330% faster for a post with 200 blocks.

Here are a few of the additional highlights:

45 total Block Editor improvements are included (14 performance enhancements & 31 bug fixes).
17 Block Editor related bugs have been fixed across all of the bundled themes.
Some internationalization (i18n) issues related to script loading have also been fixed.

For a full list of changes, please consult the list of tickets on Trac or the changelog.

You can download WordPress 5.0.2 or visit Dashboard → Updates and click Update Now. Sites that support automatic background updates have already started to update automatically.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to WordPress 5.0.2:

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How to get a Facebook Access Token

L3gsman — Sun, 15 Oct 2017 09:40:06 +0000

How to get a Facebook Access Token

https://smashballoon.com/custom-facebook-feed/access-token/

Please note that using a Facebook Access Token is optional when using the Custom Facebook Feed plugin.

To obtain an ‘App’ Access Token from Facebook (which never expires) just follow the steps below.

1) Go to developers.facebook.com and click on Log In in the top right. Log in using your personal Facebook credentials.

Note: The personal Facebook account that you use to register as a developer does not need to be associated in any way with the page or group whose posts you want to display. You can use the Access Token you receive to display the posts from any public Facebook page or open group.

Note: You cannot log in to the Developer site using a Facebook Page or Business account. You must use the username and password from your personal Facebook profile. Facebook doesn’t allow businesses to register as developers, only individuals.

2) If this is your first time signing in to the Facebook Developer portal then click on Register. Registering is a quick an easy process which will take less than a couple of minutes. If you’re already registered then you can skip ahead to step 7.

3) Accept the Facebook terms and click Next.

4) Enter your phone number to confirm your account.

5) Facebook will send you an automated text message containing a confirmation code. Enter it in the box and click Register.

6) You’re now registered as a Facebook Developer. Click Done.

7) Hover over My Apps and then click on Add a New App.

8) If prompted, click on basic setup. Note, this isn’t always displayed so, if not, then you can skip to the next step.

9) Enter your app Display Name – this can be anything you like. Enter an email address and click Create App ID

10) Complete the Security Check and click Submit.

11) Your App is now set up. Click on Dashboard to find your app information.

12) Important: Copy and paste your App ID and App Secret (shown below) into the fields in the next step to retrieve your Access Token.
Note: Make sure to click “Show” next to your App Secret before copying.

13) Copy and paste your App ID and App Secret into the fields below and click Get my Access Token.

Once you have your token, you can copy and paste it into the Facebook Access Token field on the plugin’s Settings page, or head over to the Pro Demo page to test it out. If you have trouble retrieving your token then please contact support for assistance.

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Windows 10 spying on us all

L3gsman — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 21:37:26 +0000

Learn how to opt out of Microsoft’s intrusive new terms of use

Windows 10 running on a phone at a technology show in March TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images

Windows 10 has been well received by users and tech writers alike, but parts of Microsoft’s new privacy policy are raising eyebrows due to concerns that they could be ‘spying’ on what users do.

The tech company’s service agreement stretches to 12,000 words, but one part of it has worried users over the safety of their data.

One excerpt worryingly tells users that “we will access, disclose and preserve personal data”, including the contents of emails or files in private folders.

They add that they will do this when they need to comply with law enforcement, prevent spam, maintain the security of their networks, or protect their rights or property.

Microsoft also keeps tabs on your behaviour in order to target adverts to you – something you might be uncomfortable with, or might just find annoying.

If you’re worried about your privacy then you might be put off by upgrading to Windows 10 – which is a shame, because early reviews all seem to agree that it’s a really good operating system.

Fortunately, it’s possible to opt-out of these privacy policies, and Rock Paper Shotgun have explained how to do it.

Go to Settings – Privacy and turn off everything that looks dodgy

Joe Belfiore, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, at a launch event for Microsoft 10

There are 13 screens you need to get through to cover every aspect of your machine, including what apps and programs have access to your location, contacts, messaging details and camera, amongst other things.

Turn off Cortana

Again, this could be a problem, as the Cortana search function, which is similar to Apple’s Siri, has been highly praised as one of the best functions of Windows 10.

However, one of the reasons it works so well is because it logs your past searches and can provide suggestions and more personalised search results.

Users will have to decide whether they’re willing to disable Cortana in exchange for increasing privacy.

Turn off personalised ads

What Microsoft 10’s new home screen looks like

Obviously, ads that are tailored to what you want depend on storing some of your data, otherwise you’d be bombarded with adverts for things you have no intention of buying.

Windows 10 ads work by delivering you targeted adverts wherever you’re logged in to your Microsoft account, whether you’re on desktop, mobile or tablet.

It’s clear that Microsoft doesn’t want users to do this, because it’s not as easy to disable as the other privacy features.

However, it’s still pretty straightforward. You need to go to an external website, and simply turn both personalised ad options to ‘off’.

Use a local Windows account

This is a fairly drastic option, because it would severely cut back on the synchronisation of features between your devices.

Instead of using an existing Windows account, you could use a newly made local account instead – this prevents Microsoft from getting your data, and using it to make sure your machine is updated when you log on with a Windows account.

This is a useful feature, but if you’re concerned about the data harvesting that it involves, it just takes a simple step to avoid it.

Some people may prefer the convenience of synced features and targeted ads, and that’s fine – but the privacy policy can be quite intrusive, and you’re opted in automatically. Fortunately, it’s fairly straightforward to opt out of.

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Facebooks Messenger’s app lets people send their location to friends and it defaults to sending a location with all messages

L3gsman — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 10:10:53 +0000

‘Marauders Map’ lets you track friends using FB Messenger: Tool plots a precise location each time someone uses the site

Harvard student has created a digital ‘Marauder’s Map’ that uses location data from Facebook Messenger to pinpoint an individual’s movements
Relies on people sharing their location by default in messages
Map was designed to highlight how much data is leaked from Facebook

By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline

Published: 14:02, 28 May 2015 | Updated: 16:26, 28 May 2015

Harry Potter may have had a magical paper ‘Marauder’s Map’ but now there’s a digital equivalent that can pinpoint your friends’ locations using information from Facebook.

The extension loads when the Messages tab is opened and ‘scrapes’ the page for location data to show the movement of friends with a startling degree of accuracy.

While some people may see the map as a useful tool, it serves to highlight how much data Facebook’s messaging service shares – and could leave individuals open to stalking, for example.

The post Facebooks Messenger’s app lets people send their location to friends and it defaults to sending a location with all messages appeared first on .

Mac OS is not Panacea from Viruses

L3gsman — Sat, 08 Aug 2015 20:56:59 +0000

Mac OS is not Panacea from Viruses

Added: Friday, August 7th, 2015

Mac has always been advertised as a platform that is relatively safe from malware. This was due to combination of the lower number of users, less attention from security researchers and, most importantly, fewer security holes in Mac OS than Windows. Apple always emphasized its security in the Mac vs PC ad campaign, claiming that Macs don’t get viruses.

However, OS X also has some serious vulnerabilities: for example, one of them exploits a weakness that allows a malicious program to gain access to a Mac and run as though it is the administrator of the system. Such a flaw is known as privilege escalation. By running with admin rights, it can bypass many Apples security features that limit the ability of downloaded code from affecting the deeper functions of the OS.

Security experts criticized Apple for having already patched the flaw in the beta versions of its next Mac OS, El Capitan. The problem is that Apple still hasn’t fixed the flaw in the latest current version of Mac OS, Yosemite. Today this bug has been seen in the wild for the first time: security researchers discovered a new adware installer doing the rounds, which allowed the adware to embed itself into the OS and install itself without requiring the users password.

In the meantime, another exploit will soon be revealed to researchers at the Black Hat security conference. It is known that this exploit uses a bundle of 6 weaknesses in the firmware, which controls the lowest-level functions like fans, power supply units and USB ports. It can allow to overwrite that software with the hackers own code, and 5 of those 6 weaknesses are present on Macs as well as PCs. Since learning about the flaw, Apple has patched two of them, but three still remain unpatched.

Another news is that the security researchers managed to write a proof of concept attack that uses the bug to create a worm, a virus able to spread from Mac to Mac directly. Mac can be infected through a deliberately sent email and then automatically attempt to infect other hardware connected to it. The worm is dubbed Thunderstrike 2 and looks similar to a previous proof-of-concept attack known as BadUSB, which allowed attackers to reprogram USB devices in order to attack hardware. However, even that attack hadn’t been turned into a worm, thus limiting the potential damage.

Posted by:

SaM

Date: Friday, August 7th, 2015

Comments (1) (please add your comment »)

posted by

semphys

(2015-08-08 16:13:41)

You should be using Linux if afraid of Malware. There isn’t any, unless you invite it in like a well known friend

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WordPress 4.2.4 Security and Maintenance Release

L3gsman — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 19:21:05 +0000

WordPress 4.2.4 Security and Maintenance Release

Posted August 4, 2015 by Samuel Sidler. Filed under Releases, Security.

WordPress 4.2.4 is now available. This is a security release for all previous versions and we strongly encourage you to update your sites immediately.

This release addresses six issues, including three cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and a potential SQL injection that could be used to compromise a site, which were discovered by Marc-Alexandre Montpas of Sucuri, Helen Hou-Sandí of the WordPress security team, Netanel Rubin of Check Point, and Ivan Grigorov. It also includes a fix for a potential timing side-channel attack, discovered by Johannes Schmitt of Scrutinizer, and prevents an attacker from locking a post from being edited, discovered by Mohamed A. Baset.

Our thanks to those who have practiced responsible disclosure of security issues.

WordPress 4.2.4 also fixes four bugs. For more information, see the release notes or consult the list of changes.

Download WordPress 4.2.4 or venture over to Dashboard → Updates and simply click “Update Now.” Sites that support automatic background updates are already beginning to update to WordPress 4.2.4.

Already testing WordPress 4.3? The second release candidate is now available (zip) and it contains these fixes. For more on 4.3, see the RC 1 announcement post.

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Adding an Admin User to the WordPress Database via MySQL

L3gsman — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 18:10:06 +0000

How to Add an Admin User to the WordPress Database via MySQL

Few days ago, we ran into an issue where a user’s site got hacked and their admin account was deleted from the database. This locked them out of their site without any other entry. We went in to the phpMyAdmin and created a new admin user to grant them access. In this article, we will show you a step by step guide on how to create an admin user in WordPress Database via MySQL.

Note: You should always make a backup of your database before performing any MySQL edits. This tutorial requires basic understanding of how phpMyAdmin works.

First, you need to login to phpMyAdmin and locate your WordPress database.

Once inside phpMyAdmin;

Once you are in, we will be making changes to the wp_users and wp_usermeta tables. Lets go ahead and click on wp_users table.

phpMyAdmin wp_users table

We need to insert our new admin user’s information, so click on the Insert tab like it shows in the image above. In the insert form, add the following:

ID – pick a number (in our example, we will use the number 4).
user_login – insert the username you want to use to access the WordPress Dashboard.
user_pass – add a password for this username. Make sure to select MD5 in the functions menu (Refer to the screenshot below).
user_nicename – put a nickname or something else that you would like to refer yourself as.
user_email – add the email you want to associate with this account.
user_url – this would be the url to your website.
user_registered – select the date/time for when this user is registered.
user_status – set this to 0.
display_name – put the name you like to display for this user on the site (it can be your user_nicename value as well).
Click on the Go Button

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9 Dollar computer made in Oakland Ca Usa

L3gsman — Sat, 23 May 2015 23:44:00 +0000

CHIP – The World’s First Nine Dollar Computer

What can you do with a $9 computer? Just about anything.

A new microcomputer called Chip is hot on crowd-funding site Kickstarter. It promises an easy way to learn how to program with a tiny board that packs Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and internal storage — something you don’t find in another popular microcomputer, Raspberry Pi.

Watch Update to learn more what the Chip can do, along with news on Google’s Map Maker woes and reports on self-driving cars getting dinged up in California.

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WordPress 4.2.2 Security and Maintenance Release

L3gsman — Tue, 12 May 2015 22:04:03 +0000

WordPress 4.2.2 Security and Maintenance Release

Posted May 7, 2015 by Samuel Sidler. Filed under Releases, Security.

WordPress 4.2.2 is now available. This is a critical security release for all previous versions and we strongly encourage you to update your sites immediately.

Version 4.2.2 addresses two security issues:

The Genericons icon font package, which is used in a number of popular themes and plugins, contained an HTML file vulnerable to a cross-site scripting attack. All affected themes and plugins hosted on WordPress.org (including the Twenty Fifteen default theme) have been updated today by the WordPress security team to address this issue by removing this nonessential file. To help protect other Genericons usage, WordPress 4.2.2 proactively scans the wp-content directory for this HTML file and removes it. Reported by Robert Abela of Netsparker.
WordPress versions 4.2 and earlier are affected by a critical cross-site scripting vulnerability, which could enable anonymous users to compromise a site. WordPress 4.2.2 includes a comprehensive fix for this issue. Reported separately by Rice Adu and Tong Shi from Baidu[X-team].

The release also includes hardening for a potential cross-site scripting vulnerability when using the visual editor. This issue was reported by Mahadev Subedi.

Our thanks to those who have practiced responsible disclosure of security issues.

WordPress 4.2.2 also contains fixes for 13 bugs from 4.2. For more information, see the release notes or consult the list of changes.

Download WordPress 4.2.2 or venture over to Dashboard → Updates and simply click “Update Now.” Sites that support automatic background updates are already beginning to update to WordPress 4.2.2.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to 4.2.2:

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WordPress 4.2.1 released new patch

L3gsman — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 21:48:29 +0000

WordPress 4.2.1 Released to Patch Comment Exploit Vulnerability

Sarah Gooding April 27, 2015 4

photo credit: Will Montague – cc

This morning we reported on an XSS vulnerability in WordPress 4.2, 4.1.2, 4.1.1, and 3.9.3, which allows an attacker to compromise a site via its comments. The security team quickly patched the vulnerability and released 4.2.1 within hours of being notified.

WordPress’ official statement on the security issue:

The WordPress team was made aware of a XSS issue a few hours ago that we will release an update for shortly. It is a core issue, but the number of sites vulnerable is much smaller than you may think because the vast majority of WordPress-powered sites run Akismet, which blocks this attack. When the fix is tested and ready in the coming hours WordPress users will receive an auto-update and should be safe and protected even if they don’t use Akismet.

That auto-update is now being rolled out to sites where updates have not been disabled. If you are unsure of whether or not your site can perform automatic background updates, Gary Pendergast linked to the Background Update Tester plugin in the security release. This is a core-supported plugin that will check your site for background update compatibility and explain any issues.

Since Akismet is active on more than a million websites, the number of affected users that were not protected is much smaller than it might have been otherwise.

WordPress 4.2.1 is a critical security release for a widely publicized vulnerability that you do not want to ignore. Users are advised to update immediately. The background update may already have hit your site. If not, you can update manually by navigating to Dashboard → Updates.

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L3gsman, Author at

WordPress 5.0.2 is here

How to get a Facebook Access Token

Windows 10 spying on us all

Learn how to opt out of Microsoft’s intrusive new terms of use

Go to Settings – Privacy and turn off everything that looks dodgy

Turn off Cortana

Turn off personalised ads

Use a local Windows account

Facebooks Messenger’s app lets people send their location to friends and it defaults to sending a location with all messages

‘Marauders Map’ lets you track friends using FB Messenger: Tool plots a precise location each time someone uses the site

Mac OS is not Panacea from Viruses

Mac OS is not Panacea from Viruses

Added: Friday, August 7th, 2015

WordPress 4.2.4 Security and Maintenance Release

WordPress 4.2.4 Security and Maintenance Release

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Adding an Admin User to the WordPress Database via MySQL

9 Dollar computer made in Oakland Ca Usa

CHIP – The World’s First Nine Dollar Computer

WordPress 4.2.2 Security and Maintenance Release

WordPress 4.2.2 Security and Maintenance Release

WordPress 4.2.1 released new patch