Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Cybersecurity

    Microsoft Preps 11 Security Patches, Some Critical

    By
    Matt Hines
    -
    October 5, 2006
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Microsoft reported on Oct. 5 that it will release a total of 10 updates for its Windows operating system and Office productivity suite as part of its monthly security bulletin for October.

      Due out on Oct. 10 are six security updates meant to patch issues identified in Windows, with an additional four updates aimed at fixing vulnerabilities in Office. Both sets of updates will include patches for product flaws rated by Microsoft as critical, the firms most severe class of security problem.

      The company said it will also forward a security update for its .Net Web services framework that will address a vulnerability rated by Microsoft as moderate.

      Microsoft did not release specific details of any of the problems it is hoping to fix with the security updates, or the number of bulletins that would be related to critical issues. However, the Redmond, Wash., company has said previously that its October patch release will include a fix for the so-called SetSlice flaw discovered in the Internet Explorer browser.

      SetSlice has already become an attack vector for hackers, some of whom have begun distribution of Trojan and rootkit viruses meant to take advantage of the vulnerability.

      /zimages/6/28571.gifDid an out-of-cycle Internet Explorer patch from Microsoft come too late? Click here to read more.

      Those exploits target a Windows Shell vulnerability that was first released during security researcher HD Moores Month of Browser Bugs project in July, and some of the attacks have been launched by a known cyber-crime organization operating out of Russia, according to virus hunters tracking the threat.

      The attack uses Explorer to trigger an integer overflow error in the “setSlice()” method in the “WebViewFolderIcon” ActiveX control. According to Exploit Prevention Labs, an Atlanta-based company that provides zero-day protection tools, two separate online crime groups are using the flaw to hack into legitimate Web sites and message boards and quietly plant a malicious HTML tag called an iFrame on the sites.

      As is customary, Microsofts MSRT (malicious software removal tool) will be updated after the security bulletin with new definitions for the most virulent malware threats.

      /zimages/6/28571.gifFor advice on how to secure your network and applications, as well as the latest security news, visit Ziff Davis Internets Security IT Hub.

      In September, Microsoft shipped updates meant to address four specific vulnerabilities, including critical flaws discovered in both Windows and Office. Once the expected October bulletins arrive, Microsoft will have reported a total of 32 individual flaws affecting all versions of Office, many of which have become popular targets for hackers

      Efforts to exploit the Office vulnerabilities have also coincided with a range of zero-day code-execution attacks against Word, Excel and PowerPoint, three of the most widely used programs in the Microsoft Office product line.

      Microsoft has put significant effort into improving the development process of its next-generation Windows operating system and Office 2007 products to cut down on the number of software vulnerabilities found in those platforms. However, in a recent interview with eWEEK, Ben Fathi, corporate vice president of Microsofts Security Technology Unit, said the monthly Patch Tuesday isnt likely to go away soon.

      While the work to lower the number of flaws in Microsofts products should help decrease the need for patches, the nature of IT security will demand continued updates when merited, he said.

      “I hope [customers] understand that its an ongoing process [and] I hope that sometime in the future we have fewer patches and might not need to do a release, but because of the large deployed installed base running on older versions of the OS, and the fact that were patching applications and even third-party products, theyll continue to be necessary,” Fathi said. “Weve seen the attacks move from the OS up the stack and into the applications, and now were doing fewer patches to the OS but possibly more to the applications.”

      /zimages/6/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest security news, reviews and analysis. And for insights on security coverage around the Web, take a look at eWEEK.com Security Center Editor Larry Seltzers Weblog.

      Matt Hines
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×