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Microsoft fixes serious Windows flaws
Cnet News ^ | August 9, 2005 | Joris Evers

Posted on 08/09/2005 2:56:44 PM PDT by Panerai

Microsoft on Tuesday issued alerts on several security flaws in Windows, the most serious of which could allow an attacker to gain control over a victim's computer.

Microsoft released six security bulletins as part of its monthly patching cycle, three of which it deems "critical." The Redmond, Wash., software gives that rating to any security issue that could allow a malicious Internet worm to spread without any action required on the part of the user.

One bulletin addresses three flaws in Internet Explorer. Of all the issues Microsoft offered fixes for Tuesday, these put users at most risk of attack, said Oliver Friedrichs, senior manager at Symantec Security Response. Two other vulnerabilities, affecting the plug-and-play feature and printing in Windows, could also spell some trouble for users, he said.

An error in the way IE, Microsoft's widely used Web browser, handles JPEG images is especially alarming, according to Symantec. An attacker could commandeer a PC by crafting a malicious image and tricking the victim to look at it on, for example, a Web site or in an HTML e-mail, Microsoft said in its MS05-038 security bulletin.

"These vulnerabilities can be leveraged by malicious Web sites to install spyware, Trojan horses, bots, or other programs on an unsuspecting user's machine," Friedrichs said.

The other two IE flaws that Microsoft now has fixes for could also allow an attacker to take control of a user's computer. One relates to how the browser handles URLs related to a feature that lets users view file folders in IE. The other deals with the ability of IE to call on other parts of Windows and is similar to a problem patched last month.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.com ...


TOPICS: Technical
KEYWORDS: backdoor; bloatware; criticalflaw; exploit; getamac; internetexploiter; lookoutexpress; lowqualitycrap; malware; microsoft; patch; securityflaw; spyware; trojan; trojanhorse; userfriendly; virus; virusbait; windows; worm
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To: Panerai

in other news, a snowball survived in hell today...


21 posted on 08/09/2005 4:06:48 PM PDT by isom35
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To: COEXERJ145
Yeah, you're screwed. Microsoft just recently installed a system that ensures only legit copies can download updates to try and slow down pirating of its products.

Yeah. But if I recall correctly, they'll let you download critical updates but not the optional updates.

22 posted on 08/09/2005 4:10:51 PM PDT by upchuck ("If our nation be destroyed, it would be from the judiciary." ~ Thomas Jefferson)
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To: COEXERJ145

Actually security updates are available to everyone, even if you don't pass the genuine advantage test.


23 posted on 08/09/2005 4:12:02 PM PDT by cabojoe
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To: upchuck

won't let me get the new critical updates today.


24 posted on 08/09/2005 4:12:08 PM PDT by hipaatwo (When you're in trouble you want all your friends around you...preferably armed!)
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To: MikeinIraq

Mac OSx Tiger x86 developer version has been leaked
and will supposedly run on any newer Intel box. Praise be!
Damn... It's gonna be sweet! (now to ditch my AMD box)


25 posted on 08/09/2005 4:16:14 PM PDT by ron0909
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To: hipaatwo
So what do I do?

Back up your data frequently, and don't keep any sensitive data on your hard drive. Otherwise you'll be fine.

26 posted on 08/09/2005 4:17:12 PM PDT by ElkGroveDan (I'm sick and tired of being sicked and tired!)
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To: tjblair
Apology accepted.

but the ms FUD regarding the "dominant platform" is just that, FUD.

FUD stands for fear, uncertainty and doubt. How is it that there can be any FUD about Microsoft being the dominant platform? It is a known fact. I don't understand how you can say that is FUD.

there are much bigger "prizes" to be had on machines running unix and linux

That may be your opinion (I'm not sure what you mean by prizes), but it's no reason to beat up on Windows, which is the OS chosen by millions of people, and which Microsoft is trying earnestly to make as secure as possible. It's not like they're just ignoring this security issue - it's one of the top priorities for their company!

27 posted on 08/09/2005 4:23:03 PM PDT by vrwc1
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To: hipaatwo

Try turning on automatic updates and see if that works. That's the word I get from the grapevine.


28 posted on 08/09/2005 4:44:47 PM PDT by cabojoe
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To: vrwc1

Funny how these type threads always flush out the MSFT bashers; seems to me they would be too busy basking in their superior systems to take time out of their busy productive schedules to comment to mere mortals using MSFT Windows.


29 posted on 08/09/2005 4:55:11 PM PDT by E=MC<sup>2</sup> (Are liberals born stupid, or do they have to work at it???)
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To: ron0909

Yeah I saw some pictures the other day...

This may be the next computing revolution, especially since I think it's only a matter of time until Microsoft has bigger issues than they do now....


30 posted on 08/09/2005 5:47:33 PM PDT by MikefromOhio (When Judge Roberts is confirmed, FR will be EXTREMELY funny that day...Get your PROZAC here!!!)
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To: Panerai

Windows sucks..plain and simple.


31 posted on 08/09/2005 5:52:59 PM PDT by big'ol_freeper ("Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." Pope JPII)
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To: ErnBatavia

LOL. Bingo.


32 posted on 08/09/2005 5:54:15 PM PDT by BibChr ("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])
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To: vrwc1
...if there weren't so many criminals targeting Windows it wouldn't be such a problem. If Apple or Unix were the dominant platform, I guarantee you would see the same level of hacks on those platforms.

Would you clear your throat and say that bit of should-be-common-sense again, louder?

Dan

33 posted on 08/09/2005 5:55:34 PM PDT by BibChr ("...behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them?" [Jer. 8:9])
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To: hipaatwo

Guess I wuz wrong. Sorry.


34 posted on 08/09/2005 5:58:27 PM PDT by upchuck ("If our nation be destroyed, it would be from the judiciary." ~ Thomas Jefferson)
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To: E=MC<sup>2</sup>

It's more logical that non-Windows users would have more free time to visit these threads since they aren't updating their systems all day long.


35 posted on 08/09/2005 6:01:41 PM PDT by palmer (If you see flies at the entrance to the burrow, the ground hog is probably inside)
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To: hipaatwo

http://windowsupdate.62nds.com/ is a third party update sight for windows.

It makes the patches available shortly after MS.

Of course you should pay for windows (wink, wink), cheap versions are always on e-bay but you need to watch out for copied versions.


36 posted on 08/09/2005 6:02:42 PM PDT by Dinsdale
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To: hipaatwo

It won't let me update either. It says I'm running Linux!


37 posted on 08/09/2005 6:21:20 PM PDT by Maurice Tift
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To: upchuck

Guess I wuz wrong. Sorry.

No need to apologize. This place is wonderful and even if things don't work it's still nice to have people that try to help :)


38 posted on 08/09/2005 7:05:31 PM PDT by hipaatwo (When you're in trouble you want all your friends around you...preferably armed!)
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To: palmer

Yeah, but shouldn't users of superior OS's spend their time solving world hunger and modeling new energy sources and finding new prime numbers and inverting million by million arrays instead of gloating on every bash MSFT thread??? Seems sort of tacky to me.


39 posted on 08/09/2005 7:55:27 PM PDT by E=MC<sup>2</sup> (Are liberals born stupid, or do they have to work at it???)
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To: E=MC<sup>2</sup>
Funny how these type threads always flush out the MSFT bashers

It's also interesting how they just bash Windows, but can't seem to come up with any real reasons why Unix/Apple/etc. is "so much better". All you get from them are generalities like "it's more secure" or "it's way better".

Okaaay - whatever!

40 posted on 08/09/2005 8:14:21 PM PDT by vrwc1
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