Microsoft Microsoft Microsoft

Your day wouldn't be complete without Microsoft news. Ralph Nader has written an open letter to Judge Kollar-Kotelly. Seems he has a few bones to pick with the settlement. MSNBC is running a WSJ article detailing how Microsoft beat down the DOJ in settlement negotiations. Even Israel knows Microsoft is a monopoly. Microsoft reveals its keep-them-in-the-dark plan for Microsoft security vulnerabilities. Amazingly, some security firms seem to be willing to go along with it. I guess they figure setting up a sort of cartel for security flaws is in their best financial interest. SANS is keeping their list of top security vulnerabilities up to date with the latest IIS exploits. And finally, MS wishes their new disclosure rules were used for yet another huge hole in Windows. Microsoft says it's "irresponsible" to expect them to get a patch out for a critical flaw within "a few days". As usual, switch off active scripting, even though that will make essentially every webpage that's designed for IE not work.

Comments

Corvair all over again?

[Anixamander]

I'm just waiting for him to declare Windows XP to be "unsafe at any speed."

Re:Keeping bugs a secret..

[Anonymous Coward]

Your PC case doesn't roll over and kill 3 of your family members when the OS blows out.

Quote

[MouseR]

Microsoft says it's "irresponsible" to expect them to get a patch out for a critical flaw within "a few days"

Are they referring to the recent release of XP?

Re:Quote

[emissary47]

> Are they referring to the recent release of XP?
yes! the whole product is a "critical flaw" ...

have a look at the movies here
(the "DanceMonkeyBoy" mpeg, explains it all) and you stop wondering about microsoft ...
(first i thougt the steve balmer movie was from an psychiatrist ... but it wasnt) ;)

Thanks Ralph

[Drath]

Thanks Raplh, this is why I voted for you.

Also I like seatbelts.

Critical Flaw

[Nitroshock]

Microsoft says it's "irresponsible" to expect them to get a patch out for a critical flaw within "a few days".

A Microsoft spokesman was later heard saying - "We didn't fix it in the first place, what makes you think we're going to now?"

Re:You know what I find funny?

[Carmody]

Microsoft posted the security bulletin PROMINENTLY in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet in an unused lavatory with a sign on the door that said, "Beware of the Leopard!"

Re:California also says

[Rupert]

I wonder if Mike Hatch (MN Attorney General) is going to have time to pursue Microsoft now that he's also suing baseball.

My preferred solution: break Microsoft into 28 operating companies. Give one to each MLB owner. Let Bill & Steve run baseball. Benefits of this solution are that baseball still gets run like a monopoly, but by people who are good at running a monopoly, and baseball comes with a built-in anti-trust exemption. Microsoft goes down the tubes, just like baseball has been doing for years. And best of all, programmer salaries get to match those of baseball players.

Re:I can't read the details of the security flaw

[jmv]

Yes. You need scripting in order to get details of the security hole. On the other hand they recommend you to disable scripting.

It's the new MS security policy: "if you can't read this page, you're not vulnerable"!

Re:Legality

[RocketScientist]

You're not a lawyer, fortunately for MS they have a bunch of lawyers who write their EULA's. They specifically bar anyone who clicks their license from suing them because their software sucks ass (I think that's even a direct quote).

Re:Linux Linux Linux

[Znork]

Go call Microsoft and ask them if you can sell your copy of XP, eh?

Hint of what response you can expect: In. Your. Dreams.