Windows PCs face ‘huge’ virus threat

[Passante]

Quoting Les Kern


"too many porn pop ups"

Too many?

 

[cr2sh]

Stunning.

I can't wait to get my cube back.

 

[MongoTheGeek]

Ouch. I really hope that they get their act together with Vista. I just don't even understand how a computer loading an image can think it reasonable to execute code therein. I mean under what circumstances would such a capability be used in normal use? It's like unpacking a new set of multimedia speakers and being thrilled that they threw in a 'pack of salt'.

Here's your sign.

The thing is that the Mac OS has had at least 3 different holes like this patched in the past... jpeg's, png's, and tiff's all had buffer over run vulnerabilities that could cause arbitrary code execution.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301528
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300667

There are others as well.

 

[FoxyKaye]

<sarcasm>Wow, Windows has major security flaws, who knew?</sarcasm>

Can't wait to see the fun and games begin with Vista.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Same old story with sucky windows, whats new? Its a shame that we cant get decent chips in Macs or decent software for those PPCs to game on. Looking so forward to the day when Macs have a Intel in them so they are good gaming machines. Its ashame that if you go Mac you get everything But games and lots of software,If you go windows you have games & lots of software but make do with a cluncky OS thats has millions of exploits! Still waiting for that One Machine that can do it all. We are only days away

 

[goodwill]

you know what blows my mind?

unless you HAVE to, i mean really Have to use a PC, consumers still gobble them up like it's their only option. i have converted my parents and i will convert anyone i can. i am that confident and believe that strongly in apple.

did i just sound like koresh?

 

[mkrishnan]

* What is DEP (Data Execution Protection) and how does it help me?

With Windows XP SP2, Microsoft introduced DEP. It protects against a wide range of exploits, by preventing the execution of 'data segements'. However, to work well, it requires hardware support. Some CPUs, like AMD's 64 Bit CPUs, will provide full DEP protection and will prevent the exploit.

Hmmm, so that Intel began including protection for buffer overflows, which are usually how code in data segments gets executed on the x86 platform, with the Pentium 4 processor line (and presumably all Pentium M's? Although this was never cleared up). These processors are much more common than the AMD 64 bit CPU, aren't they? So why do they only mention the AMD cpu? What proportion of current model PCs are actually not vulnerable to this error by virtue of using WinXP + a processor that supports this feature?

 

[ewinemiller]

The thing is that the Mac OS has had at least 3 different holes like this patched in the past... jpeg's, png's, and tiff's all had buffer over run vulnerabilities that could cause arbitrary code execution.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301528
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300667

There are others as well.

Here's one from a couple of weeks ago announced in iTunes and Quicktime

http://www.securitytracker.com/alerts/2005/Dec/1015396.html

It is Apple's code, impacts both OSX and Windows, and I believe it is still unpatched.

Buffer overflows are everyone's problem.

It will be nice when all the hardware and OSs you can buy support Data Execution Protection.

Hmmm, so that Intel began including protection for buffer overflows, which are usually how code in data segments gets executed on the x86 platform, with the Pentium 4 processor line (and presumably all Pentium M's? Although this was never cleared up). These processors are much more common than the AMD 64 bit CPU, aren't they? So why do they only mention the AMD cpu? What proportion of current model PCs are actually not vulnerable to this error by virtue of using WinXP + a processor that supports this feature?

The Data Execution Protection is still rather recent, if you bought a top of the line Pentium in the last year, you might have it. Pentium Ms do not have it (or at least mine does not), the upcoming Yonahs may be different. The dual Xeon I bought at the end of 2004 did not, the rev right after mine got it. That leaves a ton of CPUs out there without hardware Data Execution Protection and that's the problem.

You can tell if you have it on an XP sp2 machine by looking at the Data Execution Protection tab of the Performance Options dialog available from System Properties. There's a note at the bottom of the dialog that says whether or not it's hardware supported.

 

[DavidLeblond]

Wow... so Windows can now potentially be brought to its knees by clip art. Somehow I'm not surprised.

 

[mkrishnan]

You can tell if you have it on an XP sp2 machine by looking at the Data Execution Protection tab of the Performance Options dialog available from System Properties. There's a note at the bottom of the dialog that says whether or not it's hardware supported.

Ahhhhh, thanks. I use neither a recent top-of-the-line Windows computer nor XP/SP2.... But I was wondering...because it was the P4 architecture that was mentioned, and the Pentium-M is based on the PIII architecture....

But this means that almost no currently active Windows laptops support DEP, right?

 

[greatdevourer]

The thing is that the Mac OS has had at least 3 different holes like this patched in the past... jpeg's, png's, and tiff's all had buffer over run vulnerabilities that could cause arbitrary code execution.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301528
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300667

There are others as well.

The difference is that those bugs, not "nice features". These WMFs are actually designed to be able to run arbitrary code.

Here's one from a couple of weeks ago announced in iTunes and Quicktime

http://www.securitytracker.com/alerts/2005/Dec/1015396.html

It is Apple's code, impacts both OSX and Windows, and I believe it is still unpatched.

Buffer overflows are everyone's problem.

It will be nice when all the hardware and OSs you can buy support Data Execution Protection.

I've said it here and I'll say it again - wow, an exploit. No one cares

 

[ewinemiller]

Ahhhhh, thanks. I use neither a recent top-of-the-line Windows computer nor XP/SP2.... But I was wondering...because it was the P4 architecture that was mentioned, and the Pentium-M is based on the PIII architecture....

But this means that almost no currently active Windows laptops support DEP, right?

Yep.

 

[Lyle]

<sarcasm>Wow, Windows has major security flaws, who knew?</sarcasm>

So, on New Year's Day, my wife and I drove down to her uncle's house to have dinner with her aunt and uncle, her parents, and some other family members. We're sitting around chatting before the meal, and my father-in-law asks me: "So, Lyle, what's with this news about that new Windows security problem where in can get in there and attack your computer?" (Like many of you, I am my extended family's designated computer guy.)

I had not heard about this latest fiasco, so I just blurted out my gut reaction: "You know, there's a new story pretty much every week about the latest Windows security flaw and I just can't keep up any more."

I wasn't trying to be a smart aleck, but good grief, I've just gotten so desensitized to it. And we're all OK with this? Imagine, I dunno, a car company that has to issue new safety warnings and recalls every other week for years and years. How could a company like that stay in business?

These are of course rhetorical questions. But come on.

 

[pknz]

Need I remind you that Windows itself is a virus.

 

[Les Kern]

Need I remind you that Windows itself is a virus.

A time-sucking, money-grabbing, productivity-reducing ABOMINATION of a virus.

 

[maya]

A time-sucking, money-grabbing, productivity-reducing ABOMINATION of a virus.

You forgot, that its a "cheap" virus.

 

[mkrishnan]

From here, this quote by Mikko Hypponen of F-secure, is my personal favorite:

"Right now, the situation is bad, but it could be much worse. The potential for problems is bigger than we have ever seen," Hypponen said. "We estimate 99 percent of computers worldwide are vulnerable to this attack."

Mmmm, I'm pretty sure that's not *quite* accurate.

 

[JFreak]

I'm pretty sure that's not *quite* accurate.

pretty sure? don't you mean you're 99% sure

seriously; every single windows pc that is connected to internet is vulnerable, and will always be. the only way to protect a windows system is to disconnect it from the network and use it behind locked doors. preferably having an armed guard watching your back while you try to work un-connected -- he should have orders to knock you down if you try to set up a network...

 

[Jimmieboy]

Quick everyone! Switch to windows

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Its just sad sometimes when things like this come out in the news. The headlines should read "Calling all hackers! New hole found in Windows"

Sure they need to tell people, but its also advertising for someone to come along and make one.

Now, any bets how long we have to wait before one pops up?

D

 

[greatdevourer]

seriously; every single windows pc that is connected to internet is vulnerable, and will always be. the only way to protect a windows system is to disconnect it from the network and use it behind locked doors. preferably having an armed guard watching your back while you try to work un-connected -- he should have orders to knock you down if you try to set up a network...

You've probably read it, but there was a study done by Kevin Mitnick and others where they put various XP boxes on the net, and the average was 4 minutes to be sploited in some way

 

[mkrishnan]

You've probably read it, but there was a study done by Kevin Mitnick and others where they put various XP boxes on the net, and the average was 4 minutes to be sploited in some way

I think this was the same study where they put various Macs in the hands of consumers, and the consumers were irresistibly compelled to order an iPod of some kind in an average of four minutes.

 

[XNine]

Apparently, the hole has been exploited many times already.

Microsoft will not fix all of its issues. Or even a great percentage of them because even with Vista security is an afterthought. It was completely rebuilt to enhance security, security was added on.

Unix/Linux are built with multi-user, and superuser/root in mind for security purposes.

I really need to raise a few million dollars and make anti-microsoft commercials.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

For the Mac lover who uses windows , microstink has a patch now thats available through its updates page that fixes this exploit. I have installed it on my machine with no ill effects........................yet.

 

[Sharewaredemon]

I think this was the same study where they put various Macs in the hands of consumers, and the consumers were irresistibly compelled to order an iPod of some kind in an average of four minutes.

Yes, I think it was!