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Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

notepad-plus-plus.org

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Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#401

Post by expedition32 »

card_zero wrote: post #349
illiac786 wrote: post #336

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it is very much atypical. Most hacks happen because admins still haven’t applied a 2 years old patch. I hate updates, but it‘s statistically safer that running an old software version. Try exposing a windows XP to the internet and watch how long it takes before it‘s hacked.

Debatable. "I connected Windows XP to the Internet; it was fine" - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40528117 One comment there points out that XP is old enough for infected attack vectors to have all died out. I dunno.

Anyone else noticed that we don't even GET patch notes anymore?

"Fixed some bugs" Yes thank you very helpful that! Now I can make a very informed decision.

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#402

Post by direwolf20 »

globalnode wrote: post #296
esperent wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I partially agree, but as a non-US user of the English speaking internet, the issue is with specifically US politics and social issues being everywhere . It drowns out all attempts at discourse for anything else, and Americans, including people here, seem uniquely incapable of nuance in their thinking when it comes to politics. So, while I fully agree with your stance that banning political discourse is support for t…

best solution to this is a closing of borders and fragmentation of the internet to local regional segments. i know it sounds backwards but it seems thats where we're headed

We're already there, but not geographically aligned. We talk in isolated forums, mostly on Discord. Big public melting pots like Twitter have failed.

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#403

Post by avazhi »

freitasm wrote: post #171
avereveard wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right the writeup doesn't mention when it started and what versions are affected

The writeup says it right there: "The security exper’s analysis indicates the attack ceased on November 10, 2025, while the hosting provider’s statement shows potential attacker access until December 2, 2025. Based on both assessment, I estimate the overall compromise period spanned from June through December 2, 2025, when all attacker access was definitively terminated."

Yeah, that refers to the MITM attack on the update server. We have no fucking clue what they actually did while they were in the middle - whatever exploit code was running may very well be running right now on compromised machines. Nobody knows what the compromised exes actually did.

Thanks for your nonanswer, though. It was about as unhelpful and unspecific as the original blogpost for this.

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#404

Post by direwolf20 »

stackbutterflow wrote: post #392
appreciatorBus wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not wanting politics on HN, need not imply support of the status quo, or even a lack of interest in politics. It can simply be a different belief about the purpose of online forums. I read about politics all day long in many different places. My belief that HN should be relatively free of such stories is not because I believe I can detach myself from politics, but because I believe topic based forums are more valuabl…

Allowing politics on HN doesn't mean discussing politics in every thread. If it's a story about someone who improved performance of their system by using Rust then sure there's no need to bring anything political. But threads about Nvidia, Tesla, encryption, internet blackouts, social media, startups investments, etc, all warrants political discourse.

The use of Rust is already political!

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#405

Post by direwolf20 »

popalchemist wrote: post #138
getnormality wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, it doesn't mean they support the status quo. It just means some political tactics are pointless, incompetent, and counterproductive. Political opinions about how things should be don't automatically dictate the actions that should be taken in support of those opinions. I can be mad about a law or a court decision and still have the good sense to, for example, not throw red paint on a lawmaker or judge. Some beha…

It intrinsically does. Whatever stance changes nothing or prefers to change nothing is a vote for the status quo, by definition.

I wouldn't say that avoiding political discussion yourself because you can't handle it is a vote for the status quo, but telling others not to talk about politics is definitely a vote for the status quo.

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#406

Post by Orygin »

joejoe638 wrote: post #205
deathanatos wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Science has absolutely engaged in the politics du jour, including in major world wars. See, for example, the Szilárd petition[1]. (If you need a post-WWII example, those same scientists continued petitioning after the war on the dangers of nukes, too.) Further, political banners in software have absolute helped, and have changed political outcomes. As an example of that, SOPA, and later PIPA, were defeated by website…

A petition and including your political opinions whenever you engage in your trade or profession is not the same. This is the entire point and objection with politicisation of everything.

> whenever you engage in your trade or profession is not the same

Feels like this is overstating the facts. Afaik, twice did the author on N++ did include a small political message in a release.

Is it really "whenever"? Blowing this out of proportions because some are so allergic to any political message that twice in 10 years is being pushy..

In the end, everything involving more than 2 humans is politics. You may want to ignore some topics, but those may be important to others. Until the day you yourself want to bring some attention but you're met with an "apolitical" response saying it's not the time or place for it.

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#407

Post by direwolf20 »

mshroyer wrote: post #253
ryandrake wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Similar comments also come up in the [now regular] "I don't want to see political articles on HN" threads, and I think the response is similar: Asking for "no politics" is itself a strong political view: One in support/service of whatever the current status quo is. Trying to set oneself apart from (or above) politics is itself political. If you're lucky enough to be one of the fortunate people on earth who are not un…

> Asking for "no politics" is itself a strong political view No, it explicitly is not, and this "deepity" doesn't change any rational analysis. The injection of politics into every aspect of society must and should be refused.

Can you name some aspects of society that are non–political? I can't think of many. Maybe the frequency spectrum of sunlight?

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#408

Post by direwolf20 »

chii wrote: post #223
ryandrake wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Similar comments also come up in the [now regular] "I don't want to see political articles on HN" threads, and I think the response is similar: Asking for "no politics" is itself a strong political view: One in support/service of whatever the current status quo is. Trying to set oneself apart from (or above) politics is itself political. If you're lucky enough to be one of the fortunate people on earth who are not un…

> One in support/service of whatever the current status quo is. Trying to set oneself apart from (or above) politics is itself political. apparently, it's OK to have this stance of "if you're not with us, you're against us". It's absolutely possible to not want political discussions in various places - it doesn't mean you support one or the other side. It simply means you don't want that discussion here. You could su…

it's not the mere lack of being with, it's the enthusiastic, public advertisement that you are not with. If you are actually neither with nor against, then you don't have any need to say anything about the issue at all. If you make a big deal about not being with or against, most people who do that are against but don't want to say so.

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#409

Post by expedition32 »

ryandrake wrote: post #44
LoganDark wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't help but feel there must some better venue for such messaging. When I see politics in software updates or documentation, nothing happens because I'm not looking to use the software for political activism. Maybe I tell my adblocker to remove the messaging, and carry on with my task. I can engage with politics in a social context, when political messaging isn't interrupting something else I'm doing; that's a be…

Similar comments also come up in the [now regular] "I don't want to see political articles on HN" threads, and I think the response is similar: Asking for "no politics" is itself a strong political view: One in support/service of whatever the current status quo is. Trying to set oneself apart from (or above) politics is itself political. If you're lucky enough to be one of the fortunate people on earth who are not un…

I always imagine how long one can keep ignoring politics? When they bust down your door and put you in the black van?

They are making a mistake I was never political!

Re: Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored actors

#410

Post by direwolf20 »

teo_zero wrote: post #303
ryandrake wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Similar comments also come up in the [now regular] "I don't want to see political articles on HN" threads, and I think the response is similar: Asking for "no politics" is itself a strong political view: One in support/service of whatever the current status quo is. Trying to set oneself apart from (or above) politics is itself political. If you're lucky enough to be one of the fortunate people on earth who are not un…

> Asking for "no politics" is itself a strong political view If this is true, I'd like to know what a weak political view is instead!

"I think taxes should be 2% higher"
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