NV Access is pleased to announce that version 2022.3.1 of NVDA, the free screen reader for Microsoft Windows, is now available for download. This is a security patch release to fix several security issues. We encourage all users to upgrade to this version.
Please note that as this is a patch release, the “What’s new” text has not been translated for this release. Users running NVDA in languages other than English, accessing the “What’s new” text from the Help menu will show the latest version as 2022.3. The correct current version can always be found in the “About NVDA” dialog, available from the Help menu.
Security fixes
Please responsibly disclose potential security issues to info@nvaccess.org following our security policy.
- An issue was fixed where it was possible for a user to elevate to administrator privileges.
- An issue was fixed where it was possible to open the NVDA python console on the lock screen. This issue required the lock screen to be enabled.
- An issue was fixed where cached speech remained accessible in speech viewer after locking Windows. This issue required the lock screen to be enabled and speech viewer to be left open when locking Windows.
Instructions to disable the Windows lock screen can be found in the workarounds section of this older security advisory.
Technical details for these security issue will be made available in these security advisories:
For further information, please contact NV Access via info@nvaccess.org.
Important Note:
Please note, after updating any software, it is a good idea to restart the computer. Restart by going to the Shutdown dialog, selecting “restart” and pressing ENTER. Updating software can change files which are in use. This can lead to instability and strange behaviour which is resolved by rebooting. This is the first thing to try if you do notice anything odd after updating.
Links
Close-up photograph of NVDA logo in notification area.