Microsoft has started with Windows 11 a virtuous path aimed at separating from the operating system all those components that can represent a threat to the safety of users and data. VBScript (VBS) is a scripting language based on Visual Basic and developed by Microsoft: first introduced in 1996, it is still widely used.
Historically, some Windows software components are more vulnerable than others: we are referring above all to those added in the first versions of the Microsoft operating system and which in recent years have been preserved mainly for these compatibility. Also in Windows 10 and in Windows 11for example, the ’80s are always present: think of the names that cannot be used for files and folders or the many curiosities and Easter eggs of Windows and Office that have their roots in the history of the operating system.
VBScript: what it is and why it has been present in Windows for 30 years now
Il codice VBS (VBScript) is interpreted and not compiled: it is executed directly without the need to create an executable file. VBScript can be used in combination with other technologies and directly at the level pagine HTML to create web applications. The code can also be launched from the terminal window or from desktop Windows to perform a wide range of tasks, even at low level, providing administrator rights.
VBScript supports a wide range of functionality, including file and directory access, string manipulation, error handling, and creating user interfaces. It can also be used to access databases through ADO (ActiveX Data Objects) and to interact with others COM objects (Component Object Model).
Starting from Internet Explorer 11 VBScript is shelved (the company announced its abandonment before 2016…) and should no longer be used as a web-side scripting language.
Under what circumstances are VBS scripts still used
In the Windows environment, VBScript is replaced by PowerShell scripts even if there are many developers and administrators who continue to use it. The script VBS for example, they are still widely used today at the operating system level. Think for example of script slmgr which is present in all versions and editions of Windows and which allows you to manage and recover the Windows Product Key as well as intervene on the operating system license. It is also essential, for example, for activating Windows via KMS.
For example, try pressing Windows+R then type slmgr.vbs -dlv: you will get all the technical details about the Windows license currently in use. By deactivating the VBS support from Windows 11 settings, running the script slmgr it will no longer be managed.
VBS scripts are still widely used by malware developers who use it to distribute and execute malicious code on victims’ machines, as an integral part of various types of attacks.
Installation of VBScript available only on request: confirmation arrives from Microsoft
Among the options of Windows 11 23H2, that is feature update being released, there may be one that allows the uninstalling VBScript support. This is an innovation that can obviously be automated and which represents a real milestone: after saying goodbye to MSDT (Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool) with the specific intent of making Windows 11 more secure, the Redmond company offers users users a tool to disable one of the system components most abused by cyber criminals.
However, Microsoft has revealed that in future releases of Windows, VBScript will be available as a feature on demandtherefore installable only upon request by individual users.