Microsoft battles Word PC virus

[onehandle]

Microsoft could release early a patch for a loophole in its Word program that virus writers are already exploiting.
If users get infected by the virus, attackers could open up a backdoor on the PC and take over the machine to use it for their own ends.

A fix is due for release in mid-June but Microsoft said it would bring it forward if the action was "warranted".

Microsoft told users to turn off some Word features in order to protect themselves.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5013712.stm

[Ezlivin]

1. Think the NSA ever opens any of these "backdoors"?

They're already looking at our telephone calls and our internet activity. So why not?

[Renew Deal]

2. This is pretty much a non-event.

I don't know if it says that in this article, but it does in the Infoworld version. It is a low risk virus.

[central scrutinizer]

3. Why not just turn off Microsoft to protect yourself

Bring on the Mac-PC flame war

[jayfish]

5. Yup, Macs Are Impenetrable.

:eyes:

http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2006/4/26/3749

The first is the unsurprising news OS X contains several unpatched and exploitable bugs. Independent researcher Tom Ferris has posted his list of no less than seven bugs (all of which are known to Apple) on his Security-protocols.com blog and says that he has been told they will be fixed in "the next security release." Until then there are no patches or workarounds.

And speaking of exploiting bugs, a related report on the increase of malware in the last year focuses on the doubling of Linux threats, but specifically warns that Macs are likely to become "the biggest alternative target to Windows in 2006." Between the errors made in system development, the recent processor switch, and the growing demand for zombie machines to spew spam and host malicious web sites, we could have a big problem on our hands.

Jay

[alfredo]

7. There is a lot to say for not buying into a monoculture.

If there are several platforms within an organization, one virus will not take down the whole organization. Sure you can use Wørd, but why do that to your organization? Open Office or NeoOffice are more than good enough for most offices, and cheaper too. From what I have read, Open Office and NeoOffice are not affected by this problem.

[MGKrebs]

12. Nobody said Macs are impenetrable.

I think there was an implication that they are LESS of a risk to invasion.

[jayfish]

15. Then Why Is The Standard Response...

to all Windows security issues "duh... get a Mac". It tiresome at best and the only reason that the Mac is "LESS of a risk to invasion" is because it doesn't have any market share. Mac vulnerabilities are announced every week but, hmmm, but they go unnoticed because no one cares. When a Windows vulnerability is announced? ...well we've already gone over that.

Jay

[Tyler Durden]

6. News Flash! Unsinkable ship sails for New York!

Southampton, England; 1914: The Unsinkable TITANIC has set sail on her maiden voyage to New York!!

Oops.

[MGKrebs]

13. What's your point?

Mac's never fail? Nobody said that here.

[A-4300SX]

16. Proudly (going out of business) (infected by viruses) for over 20 years!

Good one - I like it!

Don't misunderstand me - I own both (Mac and PC) - and would not change a thing, including market share (less then 5% vs. %95, or WHATEVER) - I like things just the way they are.

Now that Apple has posted profits larger then Dell for the past two quarters, I think it's safe to say that Apple is beyond its maiden voyage at this stage of the game...

In all honesty, this little problem with Word is nothing to worry about; in fact, with due diligence, one can keep a PC running virus/trojan horse/spyware/malware/spyware free as long as you invest enough time and money.

In the end, I really don't care (computers are just appliances to me) - it's just that when I don't have time for frustration and need to get an important project completed on time, the Macs have always come through.

BTW - wonder how its goin' with Vista?

[Art_from_Ark]

17. Um, in 1914 that Titanic had already been under water for 2 years

[Tyler Durden]

18. Sorry. Had WWI on my mind at the time.

doing some reseach into Granddad, the RSM/Royal Canadian Armed Forces.

[zann725]

4. Is it INDEED a "protection patch," or instead a NSA spying aid?

Withouth being tin-foiley at all, this 'hurried timing' is curious indeed.

Other "patches" 'train' users from smoking, or 'discourages' cravings, or pregnancies. If THIS patch trained or discouraged users against blogging the Truth...or "re-wrote" (by IMMEDIATELY "allerting" their "truthy" posts, if UNacceptable to powers-that-be...think we all should pass on that one.

Pardon my observation of NSA "reality-based" invasion of constitution rights...and their fear of Truth and in particular, the Power of the internet as an instrument of instantly spreading the Truth and REAL news.

Beware of instantly??-need 'patches'...perhaps.

[alfredo]

8. Didn't the NSA work out of MS headquarters when MS was developing

Win 2000 or XP? Seems like that was reported back then. Some countries and businesses were concerned there was a back door that could be used against them.

Remember Poppy Bush declared after the end of the cold war that our intelligence forces would concentrate on economic issues (industrial espionage). That made people wonder if MS software was being used as a mole inside their businesses or governments.

[evermind]

10. Google microsoft nsakey for stuff on that (n/t)

[alfredo]

11. that's what I was thinking about.

[jmowreader]

9. What was Microsoft thinking?

What good is an interprocess communication channel that allows you to hot-link data in Excel to documents in Word, if the same IPC channel allows you to erase someone's whole hard drive?

That's the fundamental problem here.

[steely]

14. I didn't get that email.

"Microsoft told users to turn off some Word features in order to protect themselves."

but, I didn't get the one on the new TPS cover sheet either.