The UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) are unique identifiers used to refer to resources or entities within a system. In the context of UPnP (Universal Plug and Play), UUIDs are used to refer to each device within the local network. When a UPnP device joins the network, it announces its UUID to other devices to allow them to recognize and interact with it.
There is a recurring problem that has once again become the subject of heated reports in recent days. Windows 11 It seems to crash inexplicably and reinstalling the OS from scratch doesn’t seem to help. When Windows va in crashthe problems seem to be manifesting, in particular, the Bluetooth functionality, the Task Manager, any window File Explorer and the system shell (including the taskbar) when access to the resources available on the local network is activated.
Windows crashes: the problem of UUIDs generated by HiSense TVs
The problem reported in recent days, in reality, is quite common and was identified as early as mid-November 2023. In this discussion that appeared on the official Microsoft forum, we discover behavior that would affect some television models HiSense based on Android TV.
By carrying out a series of checks, one of the researchers affected by the problems briefly described in the introduction noticed that the HiSense TV connected to the LAN was generating random UUIDs every few minutes. This means that the TV presented itself every time as a new device in the “eyes” of the other UPnP devices present in the local network.
Thus, Windows adds a reference to each new UUID attributable to the same TV in its list (Device Association Framework, DAF). Thus, in a short time it happens that Windows has to manage a list made up of at least a thousand devices, with as many UUIDs which however correspond to the same device.
Since both the Task Manager, the Bluetooth module and the Windows network device search “enumerate” the devices in the DAF list, crashes continuously occur due to the anomalous registration of such a large number of UUIDs.
How to solve the problem
To resolve Windows crashes in the presence of a HiSense TV, reinstalling the operating system has no value, as highlighted previously.
Instead, you need to press Windows+Rto type services.mscdouble-click on Device pairing service then on the set Disabled in the drop-down menu Startup type. At this point, you need to restart the operating system.
When you return to Windows you must download the Sysinternals PSTools package and extract its contents into a folder of your choice. After opening Command Prompt with administrator rights (type cmd in the search box then choose Run as administrator), moving to the PSToolsthe following instruction must be given:
psexec.exe -i -d -s c:\windows\regedit.exe
By doing so, the Windows registry editor opens with i system rights (SYSTEM user). Under the following key, you will find hundreds or thousands of UUIDs created by the HiSense TV:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\DeviceAssociationService\State\Store
All subkeys with the name starting with DAFUPnPProvider#uuid they must be selected in bulk and can be deleted. Only the keys that begin with should be left unchanged WiFiDirect e Bluetooth.
Resetting up Automatic il Startup type for the Device pairing service and proceeding to restart the machine, the problem should finally be solved. No abnormal crashes of the Task Manager, the Windows shell, the Bluetooth module and other components of the Microsoft operating system.
In the past we have often declared our “allergy” to UPnP, highlighting how the protocol can be exploited to open doors on the public IP address, communicating directly with the router. Not to mention cases where UPnP is exposed on the WAN port.
Opening image credit: iStock.com – demaerre