“Virus writers may be able to smuggle malicious files onto a computer using Microsoft’s security patch updates, experts say,” BBC News reports.
“At least one program is in circulation that can hijack a key component of Windows Update to introduce malicious software that could be used to hijack a computer,” The Beeb reports. “The method bypasses users’ firewall, allowing files to download undetected. Microsoft said it was aware of reports of the attack.”
MacDailyNews Take: Mediocresoft is aware, but they don’t give a sheet. They’re too busy counting every copy of Vista they’ve ever inflicted upon the world and shouting the total from the rooftops in yet another attempt to keep the sheep on the farm. For numbers are all they have; they have no other advantage – none whatsoever. Malwaresoft knows that if they lose the numbers, well, there goes the farm. And they’re quite aware there’s long been a Tiger in sheep’s clothing lurking around and a Leopard getting dressed for action soon.
The Beeb continues, “Security expert Frank Boldewin said on his website reconstructer.org that he had recently noticed an e-mailed trojan – a type of program or message that looks benign but conceals a malicious payload – which was exploiting a Windows program known as the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS).
“BITS is used by Microsoft to download security patches and updates to Windows machines. Because it is part of the operating system, it is able to bypass local firewalls while it downloads,” The Beeb reports. “Mr Boldewin found the trojan was piggybacking on BITS to download malicious files… Microsoft recommended that anybody who thought they may have been infected with the Jowspry trojan should visit Windows Live OneCare safety scanner.”
MacDailyNews Take: Once again, Mafiasoft leads their sheep to slaughter. Related article: Microsoft’s Live OneCare ‘security’ failureware: dead last in test of 17 Windows security apps – March 07, 2007
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Animac” for the heads up.]
I have often wondered whether these “security” downloads are all that secure… If the operating system has to be patched all the time then there is an increased opportunity for malware to get in somewhere…
I think Microsoft should sue Malware…..
So… what are the numbers for Vista? How many copies does M$ claim to have sold by now? Anyone?
Haha, read this!
http://www.usenix.org/events/hotbots07/tech/full_papers/provos/provos.pdf
What about Apple Software Update? I know there are safeguards in place both from Apple and Microsoft to attempt to download & install only legitimate updates. I’m curious- what technically is better about Apple’s method and couldn’t this be exploited as well?
Mac OS X, bitch.
John: Look two stories down.
I hope malware hijacks Vista and flys it to Cuba…..
@Brad:
The difference with Apple’s Software Update, and Mac OS X in general, is that it requires your password to install any software.
In Microsoft’s case, it’s installing silently, using their tool to bypass security. Apple’s tool doesn’t bypass security, it works with it.
Yet another reason for sheep to be nervous.
Remember, open-source software is only high quality because it breaches up to 235 of Microsoft’s patents.
On a related topic, I migrated one of my Windows customers to a new ADSL2+ service yesterday which required changing the IP address of the server’s external network card.
I did all the right things, including changing all the address references in ISA Server, and yet the server would not deliver web pages.
After some head-scratching, I noticed an error in the server’s log – no mean feat in a Windows system – that looked suspicious and discovered that, for reasons passing understanding, ISA Server was still listening for web requests on the old IP address.
So after another thirty minutes of head-scratching and ten minutes of playing with fscking Regedit finding and changing rogue IP references, we have a working server again.
High quality? Don’t make me laugh.
@brad,
In short I believe the answer is yes (but not nearly as easily), and I think it’s just a matter of time – And when it happens, of course the press will spin it as the day that OS X lost all credibility whatsoever period. What will need to be remembered is that, when that inevitable day comes the ratio of exploited exploits between VISTA/XP and OS X (any version) will be roughly 144,000:1, respectively. If OS X is ACTUALLY compromised today that’s what the ratio will be, and I’ve got to believe that every day that goes by at least ten more ACTUAL viruses and worms are released into the wild and wooly world of Windows OSes.
AND, ulike MS, who treats even the most serious viral attacts on its OSes with a shrug of the shoulders, in contrast, when something attacks the Apple OSes, Apple gets very proactive. No tedious enigmatic subscriptions to third party virus solutions, no shoulder shrugging, just action, directly from the developer.
In a way I wish we’d all lighten up on the finger pointing when it comes to malicious attacks on Windows versus Mac OS, and go back to a more qualitatively focused comparison – It’s only a matter of time before OS X gets hit (and as already stated the press will blow it totally out of proportion). And, the fact that Windows has always had lots of really bad stuff getting through is not our problem, hell, not even MS cares. If the consumer continues to propagate MS Oses by purchasing them, then it’s no one’s fault but the consumer’s. Let the buyer be ware.
Here’s the real point, stop buying Windows, start demanding OS X and Linux in the workplace.
Peace
Wow – what a take! Hasn’t MDN had their morning caffeine yet? Of course, you’re right on – it’s just a bit more grumpy than usual.
OK it isn’t very pc to say this… but I am so pleased when I read there is another successful Windows attack in the wild.
Come on hackers, bring the bastards down I say…
Micrapsoft are looking a touch on the beleaguered side, wouldn’t you?
“……and Vista is the most secure Windoze version yet ….”
Doesnt say much for previous versions.. does it ?
MW=”pattern” … there is a ‘pattern’ here
I’m no fan of Microsoft, but this is incredible. The poor ignorant and/or captive bastards stuck using MS’s steaming pile.
This actually borders on the criminal.
Monopoly, schmonopoly… Isn’t there some LAW about truth in advertising, too?
Someone should start a class-action suit.
Macintosh: It just WORKS!
While this is very ammusing, perhaps there should be a : laugh@microsoftdailynews.com in addition to ipod and mac….
just a though as it seems macdailynews is 50% mac and 50% laugh and microsoft…
Well, Microsoft’s heavily touted, and self-championed propogation as having improved (as quoted from Bill Gates himself) security is crumbling ever so slowly for Vista. Its just fun to sit back and watch the media nail Microsoft for their el-cheapo software, which after 5 grueling years, came in the form of an operating system rather than a service pack 3.
OS X’s design archiecture is completely different from the one that Windows uses. It is theoretically as well as practically extremely difficult to create a true virus for OS X, due to its perfectly controlled user level status, and security that is bult from ground up under the OS. If a virus were to ever affect OS X…it would first need to ask your permission to be installed into your system, thanks to the superior way OS X manages the permissions. There is no super-user status by default in OS X…and this helps A LOT. In windows however, the default user..as the administrator, is the superuser.
This is what happens when you even give your company the benefit of the doubt. Even though Microsoft is not genuinely going to send a virus on your system…the software that it uses to update your OS, is wide open for potential exploits, as this article proves.
Good! I hope the news media tells the general public about every possibly security flaw and exploit in Windows Vista. The more people hear that the ‘most secure variant of Windows’ can be breached and compromised, the more of them may head to the Apple Store instead of WalMart or Best Buy when it’s time to buy a new computer.
Consumer law suite vs Dell ‘service’:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Technology/Story?id=3179394&page=1
Microsoft is the only company I know where security updates actually make your computer more vulnerable.
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Mr Peabody…
I don’t think it so much that the press will go off on the story when it comes, they will. It’s more the fact that most of us (90%) don’t use anti-virus so the hit will be huge and the makers of Antivirus software will make a killing off of us as we scramble to protect ourselves.
Clonedoctor: Thanks! Great reading.
My favorite part:
Consumers in Dell Hell
Some Dell owners say when they sought help for their PCs, they endured a kind of Dell Hell.
Barbara Williams, a 67-year-old retiree who runs a crochet club from her computer, paid Dell for an “in-home” service plan that can cost up to $300. When her computer broke down, she called Dell thinking a technician would come to her home to fix it. Instead, the technician at the other end of the line told her to dissect her computer on her own.
“The guy told me to open my computer. And I said, ‘For what?’ He said, ‘Well, you have to find the memory. I think it’s a memory problem.’ And I said, ‘I don’t know what memory looks like!,'” Williams said.
“He says, ‘Well you have to troubleshoot.’ I said, ‘No I don’t. I said I don’t know what I’m looking at. I don’t know what’s wrong with this thing. I paid for in-home service.'”
Williams said she waited six weeks before a technician came to her home.
As I understand it Vista was running so slow due to all the poor coding that to speed it up they did what they have done in the past with stuff like Internet Exploder, add stuff to the kernel. So rather than running on top of the OS and in some ways insulated Update goes straight to the heart of the OS.
Obviously it is possible to code to prevent this exploit but that will slow the OS down.