Gadgets, those little mini apps that sit on the Windows desktop, have a small but devoted following. But it's clear that Microsoft now views Gadgets as security vulnerabilities that should be done away with posthaste.
Earlier this month Microsoft released
Security Advisory 2719662 which, together with an
associated FixIt, disables Windows Sidebar and Gadgets on Vista and Windows 7 machines. The intent is to "help protect customers from vulnerabilities that involve the execution of arbitrary code by the Windows Sidebar when running insecure Gadgets. In addition, Gadgets installed from untrusted sources can harm your computer and can access your computer's files, show you objectionable content, or change their behavior at any time."
