Final Windows XP Patch Tuesday will plug Word RTF vuln The final Patch Tuesday for Windows XP will bring four bulletins, including a critical fix for a zero-day Word vulnerability uncovered last week. The critical 0-day vulnerability - already the object of targeted attacks - opens the door to remote code execution nasties if a user opens a RTF file in Word 2010 or in Outlook …
"Those who decide to remain on the Windows XP platform will be pretty much defenceless against these attacks unless third-party security solutions, such as Network-based Intrusion Prevention System (NIPS) and Host-based Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) are in use"
Is anyone actually using XP, or in fact any version of windows, without a software or hardware firewall not made by MS between them and the internet?!?!?
Windows full stop is "dangerous ground".
You really can't go somewhere you already belong.
From most dangerous to least we have Windows, OS/X, IOS, Android and then Linux.
Yet Android is the pet sheep project for our media. I really wonder why.
"Linux has TOO MANY 'versions', some wildly different!"
Uhm, yes, there are specialist versions of Linux, true. The Linux on your router is different to the one on your desktop... however you can easily write software which runs on all of them by just recompiling it. And that software would even work on a Linux Distribution from 1993 just as well as it does on todays systems, despite of potentially different hardware architectures and such.
Since you don't have package managers or full automated updates, even installations of one Windows version quickly diverge. And even on stock installations no two versions are alike. For example there is a whole separate set of versions for non-latin character sets. A feature which is implemented as a per user setting on most other platforms.
And even when you step back a bit, even the most basic APIs change. While you may still be able to port software from Win16 to Win32 and even Win64, .net is completely out of the question. And you cannot just choose one of them. While Win16 and Win32 can run on anything from Windows 3.1 (if you install Win32s), it won't run on Windows RT or Windows phone devices. (You could however port it to Windows CE).
"Android is made to run on *particular* hardware."
Yes and that is why Android development is so slow. The same is however also true for Windows phone or even Windows CE.
The worrying thing is that the issues they are patching now may have been in Windows for over a decade. We just don't know how long some of these vulnerabilities have been exploited without us having been told about them.
We remained happy in blissful ignorance of the problems, even though they could have been exploited. And how many more are there that are either currently unknown, or are known about but not published?
I am expecting Security Essentials for XP, which has had it's life extended for a while more, to start issuing dire warnings about every little thing it finds, just to increase the fear and uncertainty amongst the remaining XP users, to encourage them to change.
I am not planning to change my Wife's XP system that sits behind the house firewall, as long as she keeps using and updating Firefox and Libre Office. She does little else on the system (not even email), so I am pretty sure that she is unlikely to be affected by new vulnerabilities, and has nothing of any real value on the system even if it does get compromised. Must remind her to keep it backed up, however.
>I am not planning to change my Wife's XP system that sits behind the house firewall, as long as she keeps using and updating Firefox and Libre Office. She does little else on the system (not even email), so I am pretty sure that she is unlikely to be affected by new vulnerabilities, and has nothing of any real value on the system even if it does get compromised. Must remind her to keep it backed up, however.
Give her some fresh Nordic Mint (x86), show some love.
I've tried to get her to use Linux (strong Linux advocate here - see my other posts). Indeed, when she uses Firefox on my laptop, she barely notices the difference.
But if I suggest that I put it on her machine (actually it's already there, I installed it as a dual boot system before I gave it to her), she's irrationally negative. She is one of those people who absolutely knows that what someone else (especially me - what does that tell you about trust) tells her is a good idea is some nefarious plot. She's the same with advise from the Doctor, Vet or Financial Advisor, but trusts that the news on local commercial radio is more accurate and informative than the BBC!
Personally I'd like to know what technology my wife is using to travel all these vast distances whilst seemingly remaining in our domicile ? And if she is using some kind of time-stop insta-travel technology (like Santa Claus uses) then why is she so stuck on Windows?
>I am expecting Security Essentials for XP, which has had it's life extended for a while more, to start issuing dire warnings about every little thing it finds, just to increase the fear and uncertainty amongst the remaining XP users, to encourage them to change.
This has already happened to some extent, if you installed the March 2014 Security Essentials for XP update, as it will place a permanent reminder in the system tray that the system is out of date:..
See http://www.winbeta.org/news/updated-microsoft-security-essentials-constantly-remind-windows-xp-vulnerability
You shouldn't be able to access the kernel merely by opening a corrupt text file. You would also think someone would have spotted this thirteen year old bug. Is it possible to design an OS that don't get owned by clicking on a web-link or opening an email attachment?
There are thousands of WinXP without service packs, because of MS genuine advatage program, some thousands more fully patched til april 8th isn't going to make much difference. Bots are alive and kicking now on patched windows boxes, the lack of a few patches for XP will make no difference, windows will still be pawned, patches or no.
"Those who decide to remain on the Windows XP platform will be pretty much defenceless against these attacks unless third-party security solutions, such as....."
Blah blah blah we're all going to die (NOT)
http://www.litepc.com/
https://www.grc.com/default.htm
Cut out the crap and the OS is actually not bad.
Bug in Word. Haven't used since... Check!
Bug in Internet Explorer. Haven't since even before i haven't used... Check!
Bug in Publisher. Haven't used, period. Check!
If these are the kind of "vulnerabilities" XP is gonna have from now on, man, keep'em coming.
p.s. If you have a) still use Word b) still use IE and c) allow crap like Publisher on the boxes, you had it coming didn't you?
"Windows XP is a thirteen year old operating system that lacks the security features of the latest Windows platforms"
"As of December 2005, the following Microsoft Windows platform products have achieved Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 4 + Augmented with ALC_FLR.3 certification: .. Microsoft Windows XP Professional with SP2 .. Microsoft Windows XP Embedded with SP2" ref
Its okay, if you read the page fully you'll see support has been extended until 2104
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/enterprise/end-of-support.aspx
You'll see this gem of a paragraph:
"Potential risks of staying with Windows XP"
The first line is the dinger:-
"Running Windows XP SP3 in your environment after April 8, 2104 may expose you to potential risks, such as:"
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