Windows 8 and Later Fail to Properly Apply ASLR, Here's How to Fix

Interesting that the feature is there as a toggleable option, but it is disabled by default and quite cleverly hidden away too. Any specific downsides, like incompatibilities or such?

Seems counterproductive, in this day and age of app/OS exploits and all.

Turned it on, we'll see what happens (if anything ) after I restart this thing, whenever I get around to... Thanks for making this post!

 

Well, in my Win10 version (should be autumn creator's patch), I have separate combo boxes for both mandatory rando and bottom-up. Either these do not work at all and just pretend to do what they say they do (?), or editing the registry is actually not necessary?

They're well hidden though. I'd love to hear MS's rationalization for making the more secure options so hard to find AND defaulting off. Hopefully, just hopefully, the genuine, never-to-be-uttered-publically explanation does not involve making the NSA's work easier when penetrating peoples' PCs with malware...

 

I must be something wrong as i dont have that section at all in my Win10 Pro system. I dont know if its Falls Creator or not.

 

Open New Control Panel (the shitty, confusing, bad one), and go to Updates and Security section (guessing button labels; running swedish windows here....). Next click Windows Defender in the left frame, then "Open Windows Defender Security Center" button in right frame. Click App and Web Browser button; 2nd rightmost one. (No idea why this option is sorted in under this heading...) Scroll to the bottom of this new page; click the blue text link which says "Settings for vulnerability protection" or somesuch.

Here you should find these options.

Really loving microsoft for how easily found and accessible these toggles are...

 

I'm trying...

This is so easy...

 

I'm not sure if it's because I have NOD32 AV installed or not. *shrug*

 

@BRiT

You can't scroll further down past "Smartscreen for windows store apps" on the "Apps & browser control" page? That's where you should find the link to memory randomization settings. If you have nothing there then something seems borked...

Windows defender shouldn't be involved with these settings, as they're involved with core functionality of windows OS itself, but trust MS to fuck with people because why not (and for using 3rd party antivirus just because it isn't MS's offering.)

 

Could someone explain what this is and why I'd want it before I jump through all these hoops, in little words please that a very stupid person could understand.

 

@Grall there's nothing more on those screens. I even maximized it full-screen to 1920x1200. It's definitely borked on my side. I might need to do a fresh install at some point.

 

I see the same as BriT, or should that be NOT see

 

@BRiT @zed

Are you both using 3rd party antivirus? I only use windows defender, because I'm too cheap to pay for anything and I don't trust free 3rd party antivirus.

 

I have Nod32 AV installed. I wouldn't think having an AV installed means ASLR wouldn't be usable, unless that disables Defender advanced settings. I want both.

 

Apparently installing 3rd party AV disables ransomware protection which was added in the latest Win10 major patch, so maybe pretty much everything under the Win Defender banner gets disabled if you have 3rd party AV...

 

I've only got windows defender

 

I figured it out. It showed up after I updated to Windows Fall Update, build 1709 or later. I dont know why build 1703 wouldnt have had it.

 

My server is still on 1703 and that has the options from the screenshots earlier in this thread. I'm only using defender.

 

Well shit. There goes my previous theory. Maybe my setup was just hosed and an upgrade to Windows Fall Creators Update fixed it. I still have NOD32 installed and I now have the options available.