Bonum Certa Men Certa

Eye on Microsoft: Security Issues So Far This Week

JUST a quick bunch of links for the curious:

Eset false alarm puts system files on remand

Slovakian anti-virus firm Eset has confirmed that a misfiring virus definition update wrongly labelled Windows system files as infected with malware.

As a result of the dodgy definition key files were identified as a virus and shuffled off into quarantine. Eset said it spotted the problem within minutes and released a new update that was free of the glitch, along with advice on how to unbork affected systems.

[...]

On Monday March 9th 2009 at 5:52 CET, ESET released an update of our heuristics v.1091 together with standard virus definition update no. 3918. An error in the heuristics caused a malfunction in the Windows operating system by false identification of several system files including dllhost.exe, and msdtc.exe, which were catalogued as Win32/Kryptik.JX.


Microsoft Fixes Critical Windows Image Flaw

The flaw, MS09-006, involves the way the Windows kernel handles WMF and EMF (Windows Metafile and Enhanced Metafile) images. Simply viewing such an image on an unpatched PC would allow an attacker to execute any command, such as downloading and installing malware, and the risk is rated critical for Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista and Server 2008.


African executable raises Symantec hackles

TECH BLOGS AND FORUMS are ablaze with panic over an unidentified executable file which is being flagged by Norton's security software.

It's not known whether the file, which some have reported trying to phone home to Africa, is malicious in any way, but the folks at Symantec aren't helping matters by reportedly deleting any posts or queries relating to the problem on their own forums.


Panda: ID Theft Trojans Are on 1 in 100 PCs We Scan

Perhaps as many as ten million PCs are infected with sneaky programs designed to steal sensitive financial information, antivirus vendor Panda Security reports.


More to come later.

Also this year:

Recent Techrights' Posts

The GNU Manifesto Turns 40 in a Few Weeks
The FSF turns 40 later this year, too
Another Talk by Richard Stallman Tomorrow, This Time in Bengaluru
This means that in January 2025 he is giving at least 5 public talks
Rhino Linux Can (and Perhaps Should) Promote Alternatives to Microsoft Instead of Preloading Microsoft
Deeper down inside Rhino Linux there's a problem
Slashdot is Once Again Publishing Lies and Revisionism for Bill Gates, Citing Microsoft's MSN to Rewrite History and Distract From the Jeffrey Epstein Crimes
Of course this also distracts
Too Big, Will Fail (How Linux Grew Way Too Fat)
Linux has very extensive hardware support, but that comes at a cost
 
"SuccessFactors" (SAP) Stunts at the EPO Used to Break Laws and Constitutions, Staff Tricked Into Harming Themselves
Ongoing corruption and lawlessness became the norm; Europe's second-largest institution (EPO) along with the largest institution (EU) has its very own Minsk
Continued Support and Momentum at the Free Software Foundation (FSF)
"This helps protect our community."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, January 27, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, January 27, 2025
Links 27/01/2025: Lukashenko's Sham Elections, TikTok for Insurrection Loyalist (Larry Ellison)?
Links for the day
Gemini Links 27/01/2025: IndieWeb Musings and Devlog
Links for the day
IBM Layoffs in "Co-location Mandate" Clothing
It's possible that later this week, around the time of the so-called 'results', many layoffs would be announced
Microsoft-Funded IDG Seems to be 'Googlebombing' the Term Free Software to Promote Proprietary Spyware Too
Microsoft advocated along with other proprietary things
Videos and Photos of Richard Stallman's (RMS) Keynote Address in India Earlier Today
He probably told the target audience (India) a thing or two about the role of proprietary software in colonialism
GAFAM Hates - Except in a Worryingly Parasitic Way - GNU/Linux and Its Freedoms (or Its Users)
Let the story from DistroWatch serve as a reminder that the era of Social Control Media is over
Links 27/01/2025: Social Control Media Explores Propaganda for Racism as a Business Model, China’s Tibet Dam Criticised
Links for the day
Richard Stallman Gives Keynote Address in a Few Hours
Richard Stallman's personal site was updated to give more details
Microsoft Relegated by Manchester United
No Microsoft
IBM Layoffs in 2025: Rumours Say Even Managers Will Get the Axe, Some Via Loopholes Like PIP and/or RTO (Preparations Already Underway)
Where does IBM's money go?
FOSDEM Talks Are Vanishing
They no longer seem to be taking money from Microsoft and/or its tentacles
Gemini Links 27/01/2025: Mental Locomotion, Gemini Protocol Bots From China, and Domain-Specific Languages
Links for the day
Microsoft Still Hires Journalists to Reward Them (Belated Payment) for Microsoft Propaganda
The PR/lying pipeline
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, January 26, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, January 26, 2025
Links 26/01/2025: Privacy Breaches and Growing Nationalism
Links for the day
The UK's Press Gazette Has No Credibility Anymore, It Celebrates Plagiarism and Cheap Misinformation (This Ruins Linux Sites Too)
They encourage a form of plagiarism and that even ruins "Linux" sites
Journalistic Malpractice Helps Bill Gates Cover Up His Marriage Collapsing Because of His Very Deep Ties to Jeffrey Epstein (and It's Melinda Who Dumped Him, Divorce Proceedings Started by Her in 2019)
you can alter narratives and perceptions worldwide
The Linux Foundation's Certificate Authority (CA) Let's Encrypt Hits New Lows in Geminispace
13 known capsules still use it
How "Open Source" Became Microsoft (But It's Actually Proprietary, OSI is an Openwashing Front Group Now)
They're still trying to rewrite history, but it's harder when Richard Stallman (RMS) is alive
Links 26/01/2025: Chatbot Woes and UnitedHealth Data Breach (Windows TCO)
Links for the day
Gemini Links 26/01/2025: The Postman and More
Links for the day
Links 26/01/2025: Fentanylware (TikTok) Turns to Hype/Pyramid Scheme, Insurers Failed to Comply With Federal Law
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, January 25, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, January 25, 2025