WHAT Did You Expect?
MS was known to do these kinds of things with their updates, if you have no problem using your system do not update it except for very specific patches that you understand to be required for your particular use of a system.
IOW, if you use firefox, do not install every IE patch that comes down the pike. If you aren't interested in DotNet functionality in your browser, don't install any DotNet patch until you're using something else requiring that DotNet level.
I do agree though, MS had no business altering 3rd party software in any way without specific user agreement, it is not enough that it be in a EULA because they release so many patches we'd be reading for days, the value of our time already exceeding the cost of the OS.
I don't think it was malicious though, only arrogant and another sign they have an interest in keeping web technology MS-centric, they want the world to develop DotNet and Silverlight instead of open tech, the same as they wanted the world to develop anything for IE or windows in general.
We let them do it. Just look at all the 'nix snobs that only suggest others run linux, but they don't provide the grass level peep support people had when windows was gaining momentum. With n00b windows users, if John Doe asked in a forum, "How do I see how much free space my hard drive has in Windows", someone would tell him. With n00b 'nix users, if John Doe asked the same question he'd get chastised or at best told something in geek-speak instead of plain and THOROUGH help.
In the Linux community there is this idea that new users are supposed to muck their way through getting a system up and running correctly instead of realize Linux is of no use if it doesn't start out running correctly so the user can remain productive while slowly learning more about the OS their machine runs.
To put it another way, do something basic like install Ubuntu on a laptop. Oops, no networking, seems a wrapper is needed for certain very popular network chips. Now what? System is a paperweight as you have to have a 2nd one to find a solution, but people only say "use a wrapper", they don't go through every single step nor is it automated.
Computers are supposed to do our work for us, not make us learn yet another discipline so we can devolve backwards to doing things manually.
I went on this rant to show the inherent problem, there is a balance needed between what the OS and Apps developers and peer support do for us, and what intervention we want control over. Linux does too little, Windows too much.