Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

40 Windows Apps Said To Contain Critical Bug

Posted by timothy on from the and-the-other-ones-are-worse dept.

CWmike writes "About 40 different Windows applications contain a critical flaw that can be used by attackers to hijack PCs and infect them with malware, says HD Moore, chief security officer at Rapid7 and creator of the open-source Metasploit penetration-testing toolkit. Gregg Keizer reports that the bug was patched by Apple in its iTunes software for Windows four months ago, but remains in more than three dozen other Windows programs. Moore did not reveal the names of the vulnerable applications or their makers, however. Each affected program will have to be patched separately. Moore first hinted at the widespread bug in a message on Twitter on Wednesday. 'The cat is out of the bag, this issue affects about 40 different apps, including the Windows shell,' he tweeted, then linked to an advisory published by Acros, a Slovenian security firm."

12 of 158 comments (clear)

  1. The Parrot says it best. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxlhyX-4qKI

  2. I Wish I Had the Luxury of Worrying About This... by Bananatree3 · · Score: 1, Funny

    But alas, I'm running Linux :)

  3. Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just 40?

    1. Re:Really? by zuvembi · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well now, I think the real question is how many *aren't* made by Adobe?

  4. Re:So little detail... by 0123456 · · Score: 3, Funny

    There's no detail here, not even cursory detail, on what filetypes or applications to avoid.

    Presumably anything that runs on Windows would be a good first approximation.

  5. Re:I Wish I Had the Luxury of Worrying About This. by Korin43 · · Score: 2, Funny

    They fixed a bug in the Linux kernel? I'm worried now.

  6. He tweeted... by MrMe · · Score: 5, Funny

    'The cat is out of the bag, this issue affects about 40 different apps, including the Windows shell,'

    That sounds really bad!

    'The cat is out of the bag, this issue affects about 40 different apps, including the Windows shell,' he tweeted

    Oh, doesn't seem so bad now...

    1. Re:He tweeted... by clone53421 · · Score: 3, Funny

      @goofyspouse (817551): mind if I re-tweet this?

      --
      Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
  7. Re:I Wish I Had the Luxury of Worrying About This. by Lunix+Nutcase · · Score: 1, Funny

    But...but...those are clearly just dumb Winblows users!!! HURP DURP!!!

  8. Re:I Wish I Had the Luxury of Worrying About This. by RMS+Eats+Toejam · · Score: 0, Funny

    I'm running Linux :)

    That's like not worrying about pregnancy because you're a homosexual.

    --
    Turning to a Linux advocate for thoughts on Microsoft is like asking Hitler how he felt about the Jews.
  9. Re:Oh noes! by rbochan · · Score: 3, Funny

    A lot of people need to learn the phrase : "Common sense is not so common".

    These day it could be considered a super power.

    --
    ...Rob
    The American Dream isn't an SUV and a house in the suburbs; it's Don't Tread On Me.
  10. Re:So little detail... by roju · · Score: 2, Funny

    This sounds like it includes web browsers (given the references to 'viewing a web page' in the article)

    Sounds like flash to me. It's always flash.