UPEK + Lenovo = Insecure Password Storage

Part three of the thick client series hunts sensitive data in the Windows file system and registry, with tips on focusing tests on installers, login forms, and Remember Me storage.

Demonstrates using PowerUpSQL and the xp_regwrite extended stored procedure to write Windows registry Run keys from SQL Server, establishing persistence with the service account's privileges.

Dumps Windows auto-login credentials through SQL Server using xp_regread and PowerUpSQL, covering post-SP4 access restrictions and useful registry reads for least-privilege logins.

npm now puts high-impact accounts into a 72-hour read-only freeze after sensitive changes like email swaps or 2FA recovery-code use, alerting the previous email while installs keep working.

Composer 2.10 now blocks downloads of versions flagged as malware by Aikido Intel by default, bringing structural supply-chain protection to the PHP ecosystem's Packagist registry.

Unlike VMs, containers share the host kernel, so isolation alone isn't enough. The guide breaks down four layers—image, registry, runtime, and orchestrator—with practical steps to secure each.