Don't offer me advice, give me money - Spanish proverb
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Microsoft security patch flaw plugged by hackers
THE AUTHORS of the rootkit that caused 'blue screen of death' (BSOD) crashes on some Windows XP systems have updated the malware so it doesn't do that any longer.
For once the Vole is not directly to blame for the issue. The problem started late last week after Microsoft released its Security Bulletin MS10-015 update. The update just so happened to clash with a TDL3 rootkit and only took down PCs using Windows XP. Microsoft was forced to issue a statement on its tech blog.
The Vole's blog post reads, "In our continuing investigation in to the restart Issues related to MS10-015 that a limited number of customers are experiencing, we have determined that malware on the system can cause the behavior. We are not yet ruling out other potential causes at this time and are still investigating."
Microsoft still hasn't either confirmed or denied the problem is directly caused by the TDL3 rootkit. This is despite the fact that the BSOD crashes reported on its support forums affect mainly XP users who have installed the MS10-015 security patch. That is a pretty consistent problem.
The malware fix by the rootkit's authors isn't a random act of kindness for XP users. Rootkits are designed to evade detection, so a BSOD on a hacked PC lets the user know that their PC was infected, making it likely they'll clean it up. It also means that the hackers are denied access to the infected systems that crash. µ
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My guess that you're capable of anything much except crude language.
I Fuck Linux Zealots!
I didn't MENTION Windows in my comment !
What I was objecting to were the vulgar, vacuous and facile comments that are posted.
(Vulgar meaning : lacking in distinction, aesthetic value, or charm; banal; ordinary)
As for the command-line I would expect someone "in the know about technology" to have known for YEARS
that it's not necessary in most Linux distributions for either installation or routine use.
@JabrTheHut
Just running linux from a win7 shell using WuBi and one can tell its much faster. I use a preloader to get FF to start faster in Winanyflavour, even with my addons and Linux has it beat other then OO it still slow to load up. MS office in winanyflavour has it beat. The rest of the progs load up faster. Now if someone here can tell me a short cut key for accessing MY COMPUTER and How I can keep my HD Icons or any icons to stay on my desktop when I shut down, would be really appreciated. The rest I will get from Google.
@JabrTheHut
What version of windows are you using to base your arguments and complaints towards it? win95? Its obvious that you are out to do nothing but spread FUD against Microsoft.
do you support their business practices?
1) High pressure marketing (I understate) to enforce M$-only shops, and M$-only sales from OEMs.
2) Change for the sole sake of change, just moving things around in the GUI. M$'s innovation peaked with the talking paper clip.
3) Deliberately low-tech. OS functionality reached adequate in 1993 with release of OS/2 2.1 GA. M$ sold a mere shell atop single-tasking DOS until past 2000. You could have had XP level function since 1993, except that M$ did everything possible to suppress OS/2.
4) Astroturfing by M$: they've been caught paying for favorable mention.
So, when I see gushing about M$, or as you do, implying that alternatives can't even be mentioned in what is NOT an M$-only forum, thank you, I regard it with suspicion.
"Windows is a damned good OS."
No, it's not. Not even remotely. If you knew anything about computers you'd know that.
It's slow. If you ever want to see how slow, fire up a stock standard Linux distro, Mac OS or even Solaris x86 desktop on the same hardware spec and time it against XP, Vista or 7. It's so very very slow.
It's unstable. It crashes. It's famous for crashing. It terminates programs running under it for no reason other than the kernel is poorly written and the scheduler is pants.
It's a resource hog. I can't believe the minimum spec for Vista was 'throw away all your computer hardware and start from scratch with brand new kit.' 7 was even worse.
It has security holes you can drive aircraft carriers through. When was the last time an exploit gave root went unpatched for 17 years on a different platform? It uses security *through* obscurity, and it's not even good enough to be more secure than open source OSes like Linux.
It lacks features. It has far fewer features than competing OSes. Simple, obvious things like software raid, which are available in OS X or Linux are too hard for Microsoft to implement. A backup solution built in? Maybe it's in Windows 7, but I doubt it. It wasn't in Vista.
It's great that you're a Windows fanboy. Good luck with that. But every OS I've used for the last 20 years has been better than the windows of the time, and sometimes better than the windows of today.
"....Anne Tew had a valid point. Every time we get a Windows article now, we seem to get Apple or Linux fanboys popping out from their high tech caves to laud the benefits of their OS over Windows...."
No, we are not lauding the benefits, we are reminding people (or even letting some know for the first time) that there is always an alternative to running MS Windows
A lot of people I speak to today especially the younger think that virus'. root kits, malware and scanners are just normal day to day things that you have to put up with.
As for the rest of your post you can read comments on it elsewhere as it was just a cut and paste
Take care and enjoy your MS 'Windows Experience'
Either I happen to have the misfortune of getting infected by a rookit in a partition I monitor closely with antivirus software and every safe use security measure known to man, or MS is wrong and their update broke the OS. I mean, yesterday I couldn't boot the damn thing until I somehow managed to install SP3 and it went away. So that tells me my problem wasn't caused by some random rootkit tha n the update itself.
Also, about the linux vs windows thing, it's always nice to see the kiddies still fight about it. As a software engineer it always amuse me to see how people show devotion for compiled code.
Linux Sucks!
Hehe, couldnt help that :D
You piss off too!
Anne Tew had a valid point. Every time we get a Windows article now, we seem to get Apple or Linux fanboys popping out from their high tech caves to laud the benefits of their OS over Windows.
And you know what? We're fucking sick of it.
Windows is a damned good OS. No OS is perfect and that includes Linux too. As much as you may want to badmouth Microsoft, people like Regulas are just Linux trolls who are always trying to stir up a reaction.
Believe it or not, it's quite possible for people in the know about technology to use Windows of their own free will. How is such a thing possible you ask? I'm sure you can't grasp how anyone would want to use Windows, but the fact is that most people do and will continue to do so.
I'll just consider Linux here for a moment to try and explain the frustration we intelligent Windows users feel when confronted by arrogant Linux fanboys:
(1) Security: Microsoft tries its best and is open about security issues. All the Windows platforms together make up the world's most popular OSes and unfortunately this means a lot of stupid people also use them without proper knowledge or protection. As a result, malware and virus makers target them more. Microsoft can't use the security in obscurity argument, which is flawed anyway.
(2) Programs and games: Whilst there are lovely open source programs too for Windows-based environments which arose from originally Linux-based programs, a lot of programs and games are not built for a Linux environment. Having to run a virtual machine or dual boot is not a solution for the majority of users. For a server, sure, Linux is fab, but for an everyday all-purpose machine, no thanks. Even if Microsoft made DirectX open source, I doubt that Linux coders would integrate it into the OS with any zeal or speed. In fact, given the slow pace and disparate nature of Linux development, I can only imagine a few business-minded distros trying this.
(3) Command line: The love of most Linux users and the bane of Windows users. This isn't the 1980s: the command line should ONLY be required for very high level stuff. Just looking up how to resolve common Linux issues always seems to come back to this. What's wrong with GUIs? Why do Linux users hate them so much? I have a theory here: elitism. The command line takes more time and more brain power than clicking on a GUI. Many Linux users don't want mass adoption of Linux as it will bring with it all the less-intelligent users who won't get all their penguin jokes and will want problems resolved swiftly in an easy-to-understand way.
I'm not anti-Linux, believe it or not: I'm anti-elitism. Linux needs to get rid of its arrogant hubris and tell its users to do the same. Stop trying to force feed Linux down our throats. When it can do what we NEED it to do and unite under maybe one banner, then we'll talk. You don't think we want a competitor to Microsoft Windows? Of course we bloody well do! Competition is awesome! Heck, I even hope for a world where DirectX is open sourced and adopted alongside OpenGL. I live for a world where OSX is liberated from Apple's constraints and allowed to be installed on any OS.
Linux is a great OS in many ways, but trying to get us to switch by telling us in such stupid terms that Windows sucks, is basically trolling.
I'm sorry for the length of this post, but I feel it was necessary. Anne made a valid point which needed explaining further, so please don't come here acting like you've got a stick up your arse next time.
Peace be with you Keith.
Whilst your exceptionally well-reasoned argument against using Linux gave me pause for thought I don't think it added anything worthwhile to the discussion.
(The pause for thought was about how totally trivial some people are these days)
If I read your post correctly you are concerned with Windows running in a virtual environment inside of Linux getting into the Linux area and infecting and or reading material? First off I recommend going straight to Ubuntu.com and download your ISO. Do not trust that utility!
I run a nice little front end GUI utility for clam anti-virus in Ubuntu to check for viruses. It only runs when I want it to.
"which as you might be aware resides in a folder in you windows environment."
No, I was unaware of this utility. Never seen or heard of it till I read your post. It looks nice from what I seen after I Googled it.
If I have physical access to your hard drive you loose. But as far as breaking into my Linux platform over the net over Windows I will side and bet my money with Linux any day.
As far as hard drive physical attack (see government seizure) encryption is your best friend.
Glenn
Piss off!
@Regulas
I just loaded up linux using WUBI which as you might be aware resides in a folder in you windows environment. How does that effect linux for virus's other then when you run linux your pretty well not going to get a virus.
"or perhaps a truly "Secure" OS that doesn't allow this kind of crap to take over your PC"
We have that, it's called Linux.
a little more of these kinds of updates from Microsoft.
That, or perhaps a truly "Secure" OS that doesn't allow this kind of crap to take over your PC, in the first place...