“Microsoft has plugged a critical hole in all supported versions of Windows that allows attackers to hit high-value computers with self-replicating attacks that install malicious code with no user interaction required,” Dan Goodin reports for Ars Technica.
“The vulnerability in the Remote Desktop Protocol is of particular concern to system administrators in government and corporate settings because they often use the feature to remotely trouble-shoot e-mail servers, point-of-sale terminals and other machines when they experience problems,” Goodin reports. “RDP is also the default way to manage Windows machines that connect to Amazon’s EC2 and other cloud services.”
Goodin reports, “That means potentially millions of endpoints are at risk of being hit by a powerful computer worm that spreads exponentially, similarly to the way exploits known as Nimda and Code Red did in 2001… The bug affects Windows XP and all versions of Windows released since, including the developer preview of Windows 8.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Good thing you “saved” a few bucks when you procured those Dell boxen, right Mr. IT Doofus?
How about you stop screwing your users for a change, dummy?
One acronym: TCO.
And, there’s really only one true “high value” personal computer and it’s immune.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Grapho” for the heads up.]
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