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by blackwater 09/19/2018, 11:43am PDT |
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A little-known Windows feature will create a file that stores text extracted from all the emails and plaintext-files found on your PC, which sometimes may reveal passwords or private conversations.
If you're one of the people who own a stylus or touchscreen-capable Windows PC, then there's a high chance there's a file on your computer that has slowly collected sensitive data for the past months or even years.
This file is named WaitList.dat, and according to Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) expert Barnaby Skeggs, this file is only found on touchscreen-capable Windows PCs where the user has enabled the handwriting recognition feature [1, 2] that automatically translates stylus/touchscreen scribbles into formatted text.
The handwriting to formatted text conversion feature has been added in Windows 8, which means the WaitList.dat file has been around for years.
The role of this file is to store text to help Windows improve its handwriting recognition feature, in order to recognize and suggest corrections or words a user is using more often than others.
"In my testing, population of WaitList.dat commences after you begin using handwriting gestures," Skeggs told ZDNet in an interview. "This 'flicks the switch' (registry key) to turn the text harvester functionality (which generates WaitList.dat) on."
"Once it is on, text from every document and email which is indexed by the Windows Search Indexer service is stored in WaitList.dat. Not just the files interacted via the touchscreen writing feature," Skeggs says.
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Since the Windows Search Indexer service powers the system-wide Windows Search functionality, this means data from all text-based files found on a computer, such as emails or Office documents, is gathered inside the WaitList.dat file. This doesn't include only metadata, but the actual document's text.
"The user doesn't even have to open the file/email, so long as there is a copy of the file on disk, and the file's format is supported by the Microsoft Search Indexer service," Skeggs told ZDNet.
"On my PC, and in my many test cases, WaitList.dat contained a text extract of every document or email file on the system, even if the source file had since been deleted," the researcher added.
Furthermore, Skeggs says WaitList.dat can be used to recover text from deleted documents.
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Windows 10 ongoing impressions by Rafiki 07/29/2015, 7:03pm PDT 
Re: Windows 10 ongoing impressions by Rafiki 07/29/2015, 7:10pm PDT 
Still can't place live tiles on the desktop. How the fuck did the OS ship withou by Rafiki 07/29/2015, 8:10pm PDT 
Possibly a battery life concession? by Entropy Stew 07/30/2015, 9:42am PDT 
Not buying it by Rafiki 07/30/2015, 9:49am PDT 
Yeah, I'm really reaching for an explanation by Entropy Stew 07/30/2015, 9:52am PDT 
What happened to Windows 9? What are they covering up? by blackwater 07/29/2015, 10:40pm PDT 
Poor OS version detection in apps by Entropy Stew 07/30/2015, 9:44am PDT 
Re: Windows 10 ongoing impressions by Ice Cream Jonsey 07/30/2015, 7:46am PDT 
That's not a bug, it's intentional by Entropy Stew 07/30/2015, 8:26am PDT 
Yeah, you can auto-share your home network with your personal contacts by Rafiki 07/30/2015, 9:20am PDT 
You may want to visit the Privacy tab in the Settings menu by Entropy Stew 07/30/2015, 9:34am PDT 
Patch notes 1.0: Fixed bug where Windows users had privacy, dignity NT by dr. no 09/08/2015, 1:30am PDT 
MS needs an interface Nazi with the ability to change shit across teams by Entropy Stew 07/30/2015, 9:33am PDT 
Is/was the ribbon the thing they fucked up with MS Word? NT by Mysterio Lollerson 07/30/2015, 9:54am PDT 
YES NT by Entropy Stew 07/30/2015, 9:56am PDT 
Re: MS needs an interface Nazi with the ability to change shit across teams by Rafiki 07/30/2015, 10:09am PDT 
Re: MS needs an interface Nazi with the ability to change shit across teams by Entropy Stew 07/30/2015, 1:49pm PDT 
Aero glass was a big performance drain; might've taken it out for snappiness by Fullofkittens 07/30/2015, 7:58pm PDT 
It's gpu accelerated. Shouldn't be that bad in theory. NT by Entropy Stew 07/30/2015, 8:38pm PDT 
Re: MS needs an interface Nazi with the ability to change shit across teams by Rafiki 07/31/2015, 7:48pm PDT 
OH JUST FUCK UP MY ASCII GUY WHY DON'T YOU NT by Rafiki 07/31/2015, 7:49pm PDT 
Rafiki getting incredulous at inexplicable design incompetence is my favorite Ca NT by ltrops post -fabio 07/30/2015, 4:17pm PDT 
Re: Windows 10 ongoing impressions by Rafiki 07/30/2015, 5:58pm PDT 
Re: Windows 10 ongoing impressions by From Reddit 07/30/2015, 9:17pm PDT 
This is why TrueCrypt exists by Oom Shnibble 08/03/2015, 11:16pm PDT 
No comment on the app store? by laudablepuss 09/12/2015, 3:03pm PDT 
Aw, my comment was supposed to be under Rafiki's thread starter comment by laudablepuss 09/12/2015, 3:04pm PDT 
Is there any reason to install this for people who value their privacy? NT by What does it do that 7 doesn't? 08/03/2015, 2:09pm PDT 
I don't have a good answer for this by laudablepuss 09/12/2015, 3:06pm PDT 
My Windows Explorer processes keep hanging and I need to restart them. by Oom Shnibble 08/03/2015, 10:52pm PDT 
HEY YOU KNOW YOU CAN BUY OFFICE RIGHT? NT by WINDOWS 10 IS HELPING 09/08/2015, 3:17am PDT 
Installed the november update by Rafiki 12/10/2015, 10:36pm PST 
Jesus Christ by Rafiki 12/10/2015, 10:39pm PST 
My FUCKING start menu just FUCKING suggested I get the FUCKING Facebook app NT by Entropy Stew 05/18/2016, 7:11pm PDT 
My FUCKING nagware FUCKING scheduled a win10 upgrade in two FUCKING weeks! NT by Mischief Angry Canceler 05/18/2016, 7:17pm PDT 
After all the shit you've given me, you're running Windows fucking 10? NT by Ice Cream Jonsey 05/18/2016, 7:59pm PDT 
Wha? Yeah, since it came out. by Entropy Stew 05/19/2016, 7:34am PDT 
I was almost completely out. Not sure if I told this on here or not. by Ice Cream Jonsey 05/25/2016, 9:30pm PDT 
Re: I was almost completely out. Not sure if I told this on here or not. by laudablepuss 05/26/2016, 7:01am PDT 
Ah, but there's one thing I know that you do not about Windows 10. by Ice Cream Jonsey 05/26/2016, 2:31pm PDT 
Tear up contract to signal agreement. Seems reasonable to me. NT by A lawyer 05/26/2016, 8:56am PDT 
something something Oracle v. Google NT by Gently Masturbated by Fair Use 05/26/2016, 3:18pm PDT 
Re: I was almost completely out. Not sure if I told this on here or not. by Ice Cream Jonsey 02/16/2018, 9:39pm PST 
This one got me this weekend. Fuuuuuck them. NT by Mysterio Lollerson 02/17/2018, 10:41am PST 
This one got me this weekend. Fuuuuuck them. NT by Mysterio Lollerson 02/17/2018, 10:55am PST 
MS has now taken to autoscheduling an upgrade from 7 to 10 NT by Fuckers! No I don't fucking want it 05/23/2016, 4:08pm PDT 
Just upgrade by laudablepuss 05/24/2016, 7:29am PDT 
Also turn off the default "automatically connect to hacker's wifi proxy" setting NT by Fullofkittens 05/24/2016, 7:41am PDT 
Because it's a piece of shit sending every goddamn keystroke to the NSA. by Mysterio 05/24/2016, 8:00am PDT 
*chugs powerade* *cries another gallon of tears* NT by laudablepuss 05/24/2016, 8:16am PDT 
I am not saying you're shit. But that 10 is. NT by Mysterio 05/24/2016, 8:30am PDT 
"Its inevitable" seems to be the best reason to upgrade btw by Mysterio 05/24/2016, 8:31am PDT 
But I'm TRYING to be shit. C'MON! by laudablepuss 05/24/2016, 8:44am PDT 
All I wanted was to be told I was smart. Thank you. by Mysterio 05/24/2016, 9:00am PDT 
Tim Sweeney with a good take. by N/A 07/26/2016, 10:38am PDT 
A tiny bit insane NT by laudablepuss 07/26/2016, 2:07pm PDT 
Which thing is insane, them doing that or someone thinking they are? by Mysterio 07/26/2016, 2:19pm PDT 
Good point. Let's play some dosgames together. NT by N/A 07/26/2016, 3:03pm PDT 
Anyone want to defend this? by Kenny Mayne 10/29/2016, 1:34pm PDT 
You mean exactly like steam? by laudablepuss 10/29/2016, 2:39pm PDT 
Re: You mean exactly like steam? by laudablepuss 10/29/2016, 2:40pm PDT 
Re: You mean exactly like steam? by Kenny Mayne 10/29/2016, 3:22pm PDT 
Re: You mean exactly like steam? by Mysterio 10/29/2016, 4:16pm PDT 
I have hope. NT by Kenny Mayne 10/29/2016, 4:29pm PDT 
Steam fixed that. I lost internet and when I booted up it actually let me play NT by Roop 10/29/2016, 4:32pm PDT 
Microsoft adds helpful file to store all your passwords and emails by blackwater 09/19/2018, 11:43am PDT 
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