MS: PowerPoint Flaw Already Fixed

By Nate Mook | Published August 23, 2006, 6:00 PM

Microsoft is publicly downplaying the risk of an alleged zero-day exploit announced earlier this week for PowerPoint. Security officials from the Redmond company say the vulnerability the exploit affects was already patched.

"Our investigation has proven thus far that customers who are up to date with Office security updates are NOT affected. Meaning this is NOT a zero day. Malware in the malicious .ppt leverages a previously fixed vulnerability in Microsoft Office to drop the payload," said Scott from Microsoft's Security Response Center. "To be attacked and become infected requires a user to open the malicious .ppt file on a system that doesn’t have the latest Office security updates."

Comments

View comments by with a score of at least

...

So, BetaNew's sensationalism of this story was
what we suspected from the start: Non-news !

Which allows the question to remain... why does
BetaNews publish articles like this (and on
hybrid cars) while ignoring ~real~ computer news ?

...

The DataRat

...

Score: -1

|

Because they can and because they want to. Do they need more of a reason? It is their site, they can report on Pokemon and My Little Ponies if they want to.

Which begs the question, since it's their site, and you don't like the way it is run....

...

Why are you still here?

Score: 0

|

...

PC_Fool wrote:
"Because they can and
because they want to"

...

Sounds like your attitude about Microsoft, too.

...

The Computer Rodent

...

Score: 0

|

And the "real computer news" they are ignoring is?

Score: 0

|

Yeah.

I know...you have a problem with people doing what they want with their own products.

Which is fine, everyone is allowed an opinion, but you act as though yours is the only valid one.

The journalist, site, or CEO has a bit more say in what's done with their products than you do, I am afraid.

You'll either have to learn to deal with it (preferably without the constant b****ing), or perhaps you should look for your news and related material elsewhere.

Score: 0

|

...

PC_Fool wrote:

"you have a problem
with people doing
what they want with
their own products"

...

Not at all. But incompentence and arrogance
deserve comment whether it's Microsoft or
BetaNews.

Your 'Love-It-or-Leave-It' paradigm works for
neither consumers nor providers.

..

The Computer Rodent

...

Score: 0

|

Actually, it works wonders. Did ya know our market and economy are based on it?

See, ya learn something new every day.

Where've you been the past 100 years?

Score: 0

|

A real beta process at work: Mozilla fires up Firefox 3.6 Beta 2

In the clearest sign yet that public input really does help the development process, a flurry of bug detections provoked Mozilla to release Beta 2 of the next Firefox.

Snow Leopard and Windows 7 still can't crack the netbook problem

Apple has killed Atom support in OS X 10.6.2 and Windows 7 Starter Edition is stripped of "basic" functionality.

Microsoft's Top 3 advances in Exchange Server 2010

The latest round of changes launched today will impact how admins deliver services to e-mail recipients, and how much companies will pay along the way.

Firefox turns five: Thanks for giving us a choice

Carmi Levy | Wide Angle Zoom: No longer the phoenix rising from the ashes, Mozilla has carried on more than just Netscape's legacy.

Kindle for PC opens in beta, underwhelms

Amazon has opened the beta of Kindle for PC, a companion to the Kindle, but little else.

European ministers approve watered-down 'neutral net' language

The latest provision in the EU's telecoms regulatory framework would let businesses cancel individuals' Internet access, if they go to court first.

It's the US vs. the EU over Oracle+Sun and the meaning of 'open source'

Now that the EU is a virtual country, the US Justice Dept. is taking a stand in favor of its view -- and against the EC's -- that MySQL will survive under Oracle.

Qualcomm: $1.3 billion Samsung licensing deal unrelated to fair trade violations

Samsung has come to a 15-year licensing deal with Qualcomm over 3G and 4G wireless technology.

Nokia's 'limited number' of recalled chargers exceeds 14 million

Today, the Finnish phone maker has begun a recall of mobile phone chargers that are a shock hazard.

Ubuntu 9.10 upgraders report frustration

For those Wine aficionados out there, beware of the remote possibility that your Linux system could be infected by Windows-seeking malware.

Supreme Court considers patentability of abstract methods today

Can software that executes a formula for a business process qualify for federal patents? An appeals court already said no, and inventors are making their case.