user recommendations Archives

Winsage

January 19, 2026

Emergency Windows 11 Updates Fix Shutdown And Remote Desktop Failures

Microsoft released two emergency out-of-band updates, KB5077744 and KB5077797, to address critical issues with Windows 11 following the January 2026 security updates. Users experienced problems with system shutdowns, hibernation failures, and Remote Desktop authentication issues. The updates target Windows 11 version 23H2 with Secure Launch enabled and also affect Windows 11 version 25H2, Windows 10 22H2 ESU, and Windows Server 2025. The updates are being distributed automatically via Windows Update, but manual intervention may be needed for devices with paused updates or managed through enterprise policies. Microsoft recommends affected users install the updates promptly to restore normal functionality.

AppWizard

December 1, 2025

SmartTube YouTube app for Android TV breached to push malicious update

An attacker gained access to the developer's signing keys for SmartTube, an open-source YouTube client for Android TV, leading to a malicious update being distributed. The developer, Yuriy Yuliskov, confirmed the compromise and plans to release a new version with a different app ID. Users reported that Play Protect flagged SmartTube as a potential threat. A reverse-engineered version, identified as 30.51, contained a hidden library named libalphasdk.so, which was not part of the public source code and collected device fingerprints without user knowledge. There is currently no evidence linking the malware to account theft or DDoS attacks, but concerns remain. Yuliskov has announced safe beta and stable test builds on Telegram, but they are not yet on GitHub. Users are advised to stay on older verified builds, avoid logging in with premium accounts, and disable auto-updates. Version 30.19 does not trigger Play Protect warnings, suggesting it may be safer.