Win32 Blaster Worm is on the Rise

EvilNight writes "You know you've got it when a 60 second shutdown timer pops up on your screen. The virus uses the RPC vulnerability. It looks like it's reaching critical mass today. Luckily, it's an easy one to stop: Download this security update. Once you've installed that patch, go here and download the removal tool." Update: 08/12 19:19 GMT by M : Security bulletin URL corrected.

Comments

Honest question

[lseltzer]

Dear all of you who are being hit by this attack:

Why hadn't you applied the patch before? It was released 7/16 and nothing has had this level of publicity before.

Precisely

[Overly Critical Guy]

There was even a Slashdot article about the exploit. It was such a big deal because it was the first and only vulnerability for Windows Server 2003 so far.

All these people sarcastically saying to "patch with Linux" or "use the firewall" are missing the point that the smart people downloaded the 1.2MB patch last month and had no idea anything was going on until we read about the worm on Slashdot. My entire work network was unscathed, because they're all kept completely up to date. I can't think of any reason why someone shouldn't be doing the same to their Windows network, except for arcane Slashbot conspiracy theories or just plain needing to hate Microsoft for something, anything.

If this was a Linux worm, people would be telling everyone else that they should have patched to the latest versions of whatever. But, it's Windows, so it won't exactly happen that way...

Stop Blaming Users, Blame Microsoft

[mizidymizark]

I know this is Slashdot and all the Linux users need their daily affirmation that they are right, but guys, lay off the common user. To expect someone over dialup to have Windows XP patched with the 200 MB of updates since XP came out is rather harsh. I know this hits more broadband users, but working in tech support, we have seen a fair amount of dialup users get hit as well. So before telling the everyday user to switch to Linux for their home machine, maybe we should get Microsoft to check their product for problems before shipping it out.

Re:Sad really

[b-baggins]

Now, this being modded as funny is REALLY sad.

Apple's versioning is as follows: .x = new release = full price .xy = maintenance upgrade = free.

So, 10.1 was full price. 10.1.1 was free. 10.2 was full price. 10.2.6 was free. 10.3 is full price. 10.3.x will be free. 10.4 will be full price, etc.

Apple does not sell upgrade CDs. You buy a full install. This means you don't need to have any previous version of OS X on the machine. So compate the right things. So let's put this in terms the Microsoft Marketing Influenced(TM) can understand.

I paid $129 for the full version of OS X. You paid $299 for the full version of Windows2000 Professional.

I paid $129 for the full version of Jaguar. You paid $399 for the full version of WindowsXP Professional.

I will pay $129 for the full version of Panther. You will pay >$399 for the full version of Longhorn Professional.

Now who should we laugh at?

For all the ranting slashdotters do on how stupid the non-tech/geek person is, I find it hilarious that such a logical, programmer-centric versioning system totally confuses said slashdotter.

I guess MS was pretty smart to call Winnt 5 Windows 2000, and Winnt 5.1 Windows XP, or you'd all be screaming about that $399 "upgrade" as well.