Posted on 04/08/2014 11:52:37 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Summary: Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer, Word and Publisher are patched, some products for the last time.
Today Microsoft released four security updates for Windows and Microsoft Office. These will be the last publicly-released updates for Windows XP and Office 2003.
A total of 11 vulnerabilities were addressed by these updates, including seven for Windows XP and four for Office 2003.
Separately, Microsoft released fixes for Internet Explorer 10 and 11 to address vulnerabilities fixed by Adobe in the Flash Player bundled in the Metro versions of IE.
Among the vulnerabilities patched is a critical error in the handling of RTF files by all versions of Microsoft Word. Microsoft says that "limited, targeted" attacks using this vulnerability have been observed in the wild.
The specific updates are:
MS14-017: Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word and Office Web Apps Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2949660) — Three vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word and Word-related Office products like the Office Web Apps. One of these is the aforementioned RTF vulnerability, the only critical vulnerability of the three, and it affects all versions of all affected products. The other two vulnerabilities have much more limited scope: One affects the Word 2007 and 2010 File Format Conversion Utility. The other is a stack overflow in Word 2003.
MS14-018: Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (2950467) — This update fixes six vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. All versions of IE on all platforms are affected except for IE 10. Neither IE 10 nor IE 11 are affected by five of the six vulnerabilities and IE 11 is the only version affected by the other one. All affected IE versions are affected by at least one critical vulnerability.
MS14-019: Vulnerability in Windows File Handling Component Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2922229) — A non-critical vulnerability affects file handling in all versions of Windows. An attacker could trick users to run .bat or .cmd files from untrusted locations without a warning. This vulnerability was already publicly disclosed.
MS14-020: Vulnerability in Microsoft Publisher Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2950145) — Publisher 2003 and 2007 are vulnerable to a remote code execution attack by opening a specially-crafted file.
Microsoft judges that functioning exploit code is likely for 10 of the 11 vulnerabilities, the exception being the Office File Converter vulnerability, where they judge exploit code to be unlikely.
There have even been some plots that Excel won't do, and I've had to go back to Lotus! These all seem to convert correctly to current Excel versions.
“Windows XP support will be available after April 8—just not for you”
I would pay $200 per year if I could keep my XP updated. I would put my new computer with Windows 8 on Craigslist and sell it. I went the 8.1 route and hate it. None of my old software works, everything is harder to use, you have to jury-rig everything (without a degree in computer nerd) to get anything out of it, and the lost hours and hours screwing around with it will never come back. (FYI, I’m typing this on the XP because I hate even turning on the Windows 8 machine.)
I have considered the devolution of the 8.1 machine to an older version.
Windows XP Professional and Office 2003 still does pretty much anything a computer user needs, even right now.
Everything else since has been just an attempt at further revenue generation for Microsoft via attempted IU enhancements and ‘under the hood’ features that the vast amount of residential users don’t even know exist.
Aside from Windows 7, everything they’ve released since Windows XP has been total crap, or not worth spending money on. One would think that with the amount of money they have, they could truly innovate. They seem to lack real direction. They should focus on what they do well, which is Servers/Clients in a corporate IT network environment with Office/productivity software. Instead, they try to do everything(like gaming and smartphones, ect) in a ‘shotgun’ approach, and end up not doing that great at anything as a result. Their smarphone OS has been a flop, the PS4 has been crushing the XBOX ONE in sales, and they are just treading water.
I suppose they may have cash to burn, and will eventually get their shit together, but I think they’ve had a ‘lost decade’.
I think Windows 8x has actually harmed OEM PC sales, because no one wants it.
If Linux had a public marketing mechanism, they would DESTROY Microsoft with residential and small business customers. Linux is inherently more secure, and more resembles a traditional OS like Windows XP than even Windows 8x does. Any learning curve transitioning from Win XP to Linux would be VERY short. (FAR easier than Win XP to Win 8x actually)
Anybody tired of Big Biz liberals manipulating us?
Usually Microsoft issues an ISO image with the monthly patches. This month, I can’t find it. Weird......
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