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View Full Version : Mystery patch blots Microsoft's fix-free month

SM-Bot
11 Dec 2003, 7:42am
Microsoft was left looking a little silly after a patch was issued through its Windows Update service only a day after the software maker had declared it would not be issuing any fixes this month.

The patch, for a flaw announced during its monthly fix bulletin in November, updates FrontPage extensions. It plugs a security hole that could allow malicious code to be run on a person's PC.

On Wednesday morning, Microsoft discovered that a glitch in the patching process resulted in a November fix not being applied to some Windows XP computers. The same patch was sent out again via the Windows update service on Tuesday night. The company is still investigating why and how the patch was reissued.

The original flaw occurs in Microsoft's FrontPage extensions and affects Windows 2000, Windows XP and Office XP. The security hole was rated as critical for all systems, except for original Windows XP installations that hadn't been upgraded with FrontPage Extensions 2002.

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Thrax
11 Dec 2003, 1:36pm
Would people make up their minds?

First Microsoft is evil for having an "Insecure operating system."
Then they're evil for not releasing any patches in December.
Then they're evil for releasing a patch to address issue one.

WTF.
csimon
11 Dec 2003, 2:26pm
hmmm ..thrax are you trying to say Microsoft is evil? lol:nudge:
Thrax
11 Dec 2003, 2:29pm
http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/waffen/violent-smiley-026.gif
Camman
11 Dec 2003, 2:55pm
Thrax had this to say
Would people make up their minds?

First Microsoft is evil for having an "Insecure operating system."
Then they're evil for not releasing any patches in December.
Then they're evil for releasing a patch to address issue one.

WTF.

As the saying goes, they're damned if they do, damned if they don't
Templar
11 Dec 2003, 5:44pm
I'm content that saying is very true.. :(
qparadox
11 Dec 2003, 10:37pm
Its not that people are angry because they released a patch, its that they claimed they couldn't release a patch because they were switching over their tracking system ... and then they magically released a patch. In other words they lied to their customers and then made an ass of themselves. Honestly I couldn't care less whether they release a patch or not, there will always be plenty of exploitable holes.
gtghm
11 Dec 2003, 11:16pm
I wonderd if it was real or not... I didn't down load it and install just becaues they said that they weren't releasing one... Thought it might be a trojan or something acting like a windows DNL...

"g"
Straight_Man
11 Dec 2003, 11:20pm
Essentially, this patch is a patch that was released as part of a group, but according to the rerelease and background info I have, something in the group kept it from being applied to XP when the group-- possibly the last rollup-- was installed. eWeek and others also say Microsoft is saying that they are investigating WHO in the company released it. Probably the release that said "will be no" should have said that "current plans are for there to be none released for December." Security is like that, a lot of firefighting and quick reactions needed to handle knewly known problems where plans have to change.

John.