Microsoft patches 17 security holes
Microsoft issued free software updates today to fix at least 15 separate security flaws in its Windows operating system and other software. Windows users can grab the patches by visiting Microsoft Update or by turning on Automatic Updates. Nine of the 15 flaws earned Microsoft’s “critical” rating, its most severe. Critical vulnerabilities are those that are so serious they generally don’t require any action on the part of the user to exploit, aside from maybe convincing the user to visit a malicious (or hacked) Web site, or open a specially-crafted e-mail. Most of the critical vulnerabilities fixed in June’s patch batch are addressed in a security roll-up for just about every version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Web browser, including IE7 and IE7 on Windows Vista. The problem, again, is with ActiveX controls in the browser that could allow nasty Web sites to seize total control over a user’s machine or to silently install software.
One of the updates fixes a security hole that criminals already know how to exploit. Microsoft reports that the blueprints for attacking this flaw were posted online. Another patch bundle is a cumulative update for Outlook Express and Windows Mail that plugs four separate security holes in those programs. One patch that probably deserves special attention fixes a critical flaw in a Microsoft component of a security package called the Windows Secure Channel (SChannel), which handles security certificates issued by Web sites that require “secure sockets layer” or SSL connections (think sites whose address begins with https://). This is another vulnerability that could be exploited through Internet Explorer, in this case by a malicious Web site that sends a digital signature or certificate to the user. My computer was already updated by Automatic updates earlier today. Do you also hate this 5 minute countdown to shutdown? What a stupid thing…
Source: MS, Washington Post
Comments(17)
not sure if the image is suppose to reference the radio-safe C-word comment they make to women who act as such on the air, but C U Next Tuesday (take the capital letters) almost makes me think Microsoft is calling us all CUNTs.
So you’re saying my DVDRom drive constantly opening and closing by itself may not be a normal phenomenon?
Just wanna give a quick heads up…
Release name: Colin_McRae_DIRT_PAL_XBOX360-SPARE
Filenames(s): sp-cmd.r**
@poster:
Just stop the update service after it completes to stop the nagging.
“net stop wuauserv”
yes they are calling us that @ ScytheNoire
That’s The Reason I’m still using my trusted original Windows 3.1 operating system… I have none of those problems that Microsoft is talking about… Fuck XP and Vista… go back to the roots… The New Windows 3.1 Rulez !!!
I bet the mexicans are using Win 3.1 too…
Nice, microsoft are doing their job and slowing down your OS lots with loads of patches! Turn off automatic update, I never installed any of the patches for XP and it’s been running fine for years. Don’t go on porn or dodgey sites or look at viagra spam email and guess what? You’re PC is fine.
Big-Balled-Bill you re a freaking racist, a shame to our nation and probably a 10 year old retard
What the hell? TQD, your system is wide open for anyone interested. Not only porn and warez sites have snippets of malicious code running, so you better get a firewall, anti-virus, rootkit detector, spyware remover, and get every single update from Microsoft’s site right away. Also, there is a good chance a good half of the Internet knows what kind of cereal you ate for breakfast
Safari is out for windows! anyone? no? dust?
Safari the browser?
First look: Safari 3 beta on Windows vs. Firefox 2 and IE7
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070612-afirst-look-safari-3-on-windows.html
Conclusion:
“Apple claims that Safari 3 is the “world’s best browser,” but with alternatives like Camino and Omniweb, many will argue that Safari isn’t even the best browser for Mac OS X, let alone the best browser for Windows. The modest increase in rendering performance is hardly worth the deficiencies, and Safari’s user interface simply doesn’t provide the usability or flexibility of competing products. If the folks at Apple think that providing Windows users with a taste of Mac OS X through Safari is going to entice them to buy a Mac, it’s going to take a better effort than the Safari 3 beta. Even if the final release is more polished and completely bug-free, it still won’t be as powerful or feature-loaded as Opera or Firefox.”
After 5 years they STILL have to patch XP every freakin’ week? That really encourages me to go out and buy Vista! Microsoft, always on top of things…
One funny thing though: First everybody was dissing XP. Now Vista has come out, and to some people all of a sudden XP is GOD! What the f*ck happened there?
And Boo, not everybody uses their PC as a personal diary. I know several people that never update their OS. They have a shitty computer for web-surfing ONLY. They don’t buy, sell or do other usefull (and thus valuable for criminals and such) shit on the web, so there is NOTHING to get from their PC’s. Somebody who would gain access to their PC’s would bore themself to death.
So yeah, it’s possible what TQD says. Not for me, but possible. And don’t forget that a lot of this security shit is made-up to let us all live in fear and buy more new security software.
I’m not a mexican like you Jimmy (or should I say Jose?)…
So I’m maybe a shame to another nation… but some people are really, really, proud of me…
And I still say that using Windows 3.1 is the best way to stay safe from hackers, spam and all that shit…
And just that you know… I’ve got my great 10 four year ago !!!… if you know what I mean… you Damn Mexican…
Well, if you only use the unsecured computer to browse (legal) pr0n and read Martha Stewart’s cake-making recipes, then I guess it is ok. However, how in the world does that nowadays? Another point, the guy is posting on a P2P-related site, so I kind of expect him to use torrent networks for downloading illegal stuff. Unsecured and unprotected system without any firewalls, PeerGuardian, and such is an open door for anyone with the slightest degree of interest, be it an amateur hacker or a MPAA/RIAA tracking agent or whatever they hell they use for monitoring. I take a lot of security measures all the time and still manage to let an occasional keylogger or a spyware module in once in a year or two. Even if I don’t keep launch sequence codes or homemade sex tapes on my hard drive, sacrificing my machine’s performance and seeing my privacy vanished just like that is not something I’m willing to do. Updating Windows is a relatively short and inconspicuous procedure (at least with “net stop wuauserv”). Getting your system raped by an adolescent l33t d00d (liek r0×0r teh b0×0rz 0ne) is not.
I just remembered I got like 3-4 patches for xp and i havent retstarted the pc yet :/.