- Windows 11 24H2 now has better security levels
- This is down to Microsoft improving the scripting engine in the OS
- As a result, hackers will find it more difficult to discover and leverage exploits in Windows 11
Windows 11 just got a move to tighten security, but Microsoft has only applied this to the latest version, 24H2.
So, if you’ve yet to upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 – perhaps because you’ve heard about some of the bugs in this version of the desktop OS – now might be a good time to finally pull the trigger (especially given that some nifty new features have just arrived).
Neowin reports that Microsoft announced a switch in the default scripting engine in Windows 11, from the JScript runtime to the newer JScript9Legacy.
If that sounds like gobbledegook, the long and short of it is that this is the engine that runs JScript, Microsoft’s own take on JavaScript for use within Windows (and Internet Explorer back in the day).
Any apps or web pages leveraging JScript will be more performant with the new version, and security will get a boost – there will be less chance of holes in JScript popping up in Windows 11 that attackers might capitalize on.
Microsoft explains: “JScript9Legacy is designed to be more compatible with modern web standards, which helps mitigate the risk of cross-site scripting (XSS) and other web-based attacks.
“The new engine incorporates advanced security features such as improved handling of JavaScript objects and stricter execution policies, which make it harder for malicious scripts to exploit the system.
“By replacing JScript.dll with JScript9Legacy.dll, the operating system can better defend against a wider range of security threats, ultimately providing a more secure environment for users.”
Analysis: Making life harder for hackers
All of this happens in the background, so you won’t notice any difference to your experience on the desktop. You will, however, be more secure with Windows 11 24H2 now (without having to do anything).
As Neowin points out, Windows has been vulnerable to exploits leveraged by this scripting engine in the past – there was a flaw that allowed for remote code execution (an attacker remotely running code on the host PC to nefarious ends) a year ago. That was patched, naturally, but having JScript with much tighter defenses by default, so fresh attacks are less likely to succeed in the first place, is obviously very worthwhile.
So, Windows 11 24H2 now has tighter security than 23H2 by default, and this is a good enough reason to consider an upgrade if you’ve been hanging back. And I get why you might be cautious, too, given the prevalence of some quite nasty (and odd) bugs plaguing those who made the leap to 24H2 (particularly gamers). However, those glitches have settled down somewhat – so it’s perfectly possible you won’t run into any stumbling blocks at this point.
Of course, at some stage, you’re going to have to upgrade to version 24H2 anyway – Microsoft recently made the update compulsory. Indeed, Windows 11 25H2 is now on the horizon (packing the same security improvement we see here, naturally).