How to protect yourself against PowerShell attacks.
Windows 7 and 8 have a vulnerability that could leave users open to a hacking attack that would go unnoticed by them or any antivirus they have installed.
However, this particular vulnerability isn't a "bug" in the traditional sense, but a power-user feature, known as PowerShell 2, that can be exploited by canny hackers.
PowerShell 2 is a command shell that has come preinstalled with every version of Windows since Windows 7, including Windows 10. It allows certain processes to be automated and scripts to be run, which is particularly handy for system administrators.
However, as it's on by default in Windows 8 and 8.1 and most people don't realise, it also presents a handy vector through which hackers can attack your system and go undetected using a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attack.
