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Warning: Microsoft has another security problem

July 7, 2009 — 4:49pm ET | By Judi Hasson
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windows server
Vulnerability
Symantec
Microsoft security
IT Security
Cybercriminals

Microsoft has a new security problem, and there is no way to fix it. Security firm Symantec told USA Today that cybercriminals have already found the vulnerability, which affects PCs using Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 operating software. It can allow hackers to remotely take control of a user's machine.

Several hundred legitimate webpages have already been corrupted with these infections since July 1, according to Dean Turner, director of Symantec Security Response.

"This is not that uncommon," Turner told USA Today. "But this kind of exploit in the wild, with no security patch yet available, has the potential to affect hundreds of thousands of people."

For more on Microsoft's latest security headache:
- check out this USA Today article

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Comments

By Anonymous | Posted 12:43pm | July 9, 2009

I think Symantec is treading on thin ice these days. they have gone from being the people who actually stop threats to people who expose threats and then Charge an extra fee to take care of them. they created alot of HYPE a couple of months ago about a new WEB threat and hten made a ton of money fixing it for unsuspecting users who got scared. the Dick Chenney school of advertising.

They reported a PAV attack about 3 months ago. My son got it and they claimed they "could not stop all of these", so they made me pay an extra $99 to fix it. I stroke recorded what they did while the person was logged into my computer and the script was like 22 steps. Not that hard to put into a release of a virus def.

I think Symantec has gone from a protection system to a useless marketing tool that entices people to buy more services.

I hope the FTC starts kicking them around for false advertising on "protection".

By Anonymous | Posted 3:07pm | July 9, 2009

What do you mean "no way to fix it"? There's a "Fix it" button linked from the advisory, which has a fix available.

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