Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft, Cisco Finally Patch TCP DoS Flaw
Trailrunner7 writes "Today vendors are finally releasing patches for the TCP vulnerabilities first publicized nearly a year ago that affect a huge range of networking products, including any device running a version of Cisco's IOS software, and a number of Microsoft server and desktop operating systems. Both Microsoft and Cisco released fixes for the vulnerabilities today. The Microsoft Patch Tuesday release included the fix for the TCP flaw, which affects Windows Server 2003 and 2008, as well as Windows Vista, both the 32-bit and 64-bit editions, and Windows 2000 SP4, for which no fix is coming. The TCP flaws were identified several years ago and were made public last year by two researchers at Outpost24, Jack C. Louis and Robert E. Lee. Louis, who has since died, developed a tool called Sockstress that tested for the flaw and was able to maintain extremely long-term TCP connections with remote machines using very little bandwidth."
Alternatively, just think of what would have happened if either of those giants had released a patch for something as fundamental as the TCP stack that introduced a new bug or worse hole; then automatically pushed it to millions of users. A year might be excessive, but considering the size of their userbases... I can understand it.
are you kidding?
Linksys was acquired by cisco.
there is about as much difference between Linksys and cisco routers as there is between a weekend yacht and a freighter.
IOS was designed to be an enterprise embedded solution, not for some Joe Bloggs out there who needs to hook up two computers to his cable connection.
WTF. Get real. TCP is studied and implemented as a lab assignment now ...
Your point that TCP programming is practiced in abundance is well taken, but my experience has taught me that anything related to network programming in general, and TCP/IP implementations in particular (particularly where interoperability between your product and TCP stacks you've never seen before is concerned) is astoundingly difficult, and that anyone who believes that they've got all the bases covered, that they've foreseen everything that could go wrong, and that they're in the clear because their tests indicates that all their stuff is RFC-compliant will be the first to get their asses kicked hard after they release their product.