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Businesses Urged To Use Unofficial Windows Patch
frankie writes "ZDNet is reporting on the latest dire pronouncements about the WMF vulnerability. The problem is so serious that security experts are urging IT firms to use the unofficial patch. Microsoft's current goal is to release the update on Tuesday." From the ZDNet article: "This is a very unusual situation -- we've never done this before. We trust Ilfak, and we know his patch works. We've confirmed the binary does what the source code said it does. We've installed the patch on 500 F-Secure computers, and have recommended all of our customers do the same. The businesses who have installed the patch have said it's highly successful" It's big enough that even mainstream media is covering the flaw.
"Sorry, but I'm calling bullshit..."
You can call bullshit all you want, but Microsoft could not care less. The reason Microsoft can get away with things like this (taking it's own sweet time fixing a major security issue) is because people just keep right on using Windows anyway. It doesn't matter how bad Microsoft screws over the 90% of computer users running their products, because these people are gluttons for punishment. They don't care if their computers are continuously being repeatedly over ran with viruses and spyware, or that they are being lead around by the nose with what they can and can not do with their computer, or that they are basically logging into an advertising system when they turn on their PCs... they just keep coming back for more of the same. So why WOULD Microsoft hurry to fix ANYTHING in Windows? If joe six pack were to pull his head out of his rear-end and spend the limited effort required to learn to use a different operating system and applications such as Mac, Linux, OpenOffice.org, etc... only then will Microsoft feel they are losing control of his balls and start to give their customers more credit than a bunch of sheep.