MS patch Tuesday includes fix for seven-year old itch
Better late than never
Microsoft's light sprinkling of patches yesterday includes a fix that reportedly goes back seven years or more.
Tuesday brought updates from Microsoft for a critical flaw in XML core services, which might allow memory corruption and code execution, and a flaw in SMB (Server Message Block). SMB is code which allows file shares over a network, and Microsoft labels the flaw as "important" but security watchers at the Internet Storm Centre give it a more severe "critical" prognosis.
Microsoft acknowledges that tools such as Metasploit have been able to carry out an attack based on the SMB vulnerability without saying how long the flaw has been around.
According to Metasploit, the flaw was first demonstrated by Sir Dystic at a hacking conference in 2001. Tests for the vulnerability have been available since July 2007, it adds.
Flaws in the NTLM Authentication flaw that's the subject of the patch were demonstrated at Defcon as far back as 2000, by Christian Rioux of Veracode (AKA dildog), according to BugTraq postings.
It's unclear why it took so long for Microsoft to fix the flaw.
A fuller explanation of both vulnerabilities that are the topic of this month's patch batch can be found in Microsoft's summary here or a more readable overview from the Internet Storm Centre here. ®
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COMMENTS
Oracle falling over these updates too
We recently updated our Stellent document management software to the new oracle branded version. Today, after applying the Windows updates, the document management software says that it has to replace MSXML3.DLL and reboot before it will start.
It turns out that the Windows update replaced version 80.90.1011.0 of MSXML3.DLL with version 80.100.1048.0 and the Oracle check code thinks that 80.100 is a lower version number than 80.90. And of course, when Oracle puts the old version back, Windows System File Protection blocks it and puts the new version back, so we had to uninstall the Windows update until Oracle fixes their update check to compare version numbers, rather than version strings!
The XML update on my Vista machine fails to install
And after reviewing the error on numerous forums and unistalling the updates i had before windows now faills to update at all.
I had this before when i used BitDefender and the updates were failing because the script/reg protection system was casuing issues with the web based Windows Update via the website, and im on Kaspersky now so im thinknig that AV script/reg protection is stil causiing issues in Vista internal update screen.
After turning it off temporarily i still get install errors, even when i manually dl and run the update.
An error with a reg key is displayed and the msoft installl rolls back.
I get errors trying to install msoft live services as well as they run on a similar patchung system.
I am unsure if its AV sctirpt/reg key blocking thats casuing the issues or if its windows. I had similar errors in XP 64
A reformat seeems to most logical thing to do, unless anyone is familiar with my issues and can help?
Seven years of effort
"It's unclear why it took so long for Microsoft to fix the flaw"
Their programmers were trapped in a wet paper bag, and have only just been able to fight free?
(Just to make my feelings clear, I do think that MS software tends to be abysmal. Unfortunately, it also tends to be better than the alternatives. I see no conflict between these statements.)
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