Microsoft Fixes Duqu Vulnerability But Drops SSL Changes at Last Minute

As expected Microsoft has released its Patch Tuesday security updates for December. Originally Microsoft were going to release 14 bulletins but instead released only 13. The missing update was intended to make changes to the way Windows works with SSL/TLS to try and minimize the recently discovered weaknesses of the security protocol as highlighted by the BEAST (Browser Exploit Against SSL/TLS) hacking tool. However Microsoft discovered some compatibility issues with their changes and “a major third-party vendor.” Microsoft are “working with that vendor to address the issue.”
Microsoft however did fix the kernel-mode driver vulnerability that allows the Duqu malware to spread. The vulnerability allows remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted document or visits a malicious Web page that embeds TrueType font files.
Microsoft also fixed a vulnerability in Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center that can allow remote code execution. Bulletin MS11-092  resolves a privately reported vulnerability that could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Microsoft Digital Video Recording (.dvr-ms) file. In all cases, a user cannot be forced to open the file; for an attack to be successful, a user must be convinced to do so.
The other “Critical” level update is for a  remote code execution vulnerability if a user views a specially crafted Web page that uses a specific binary behavior in Internet Explorer. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights. This update also includes kill bits for four third-party ActiveX controls.

Tags: hacking information microsoft windows windows 7

Microsoft Security Essentials 4.0 Beta Available to Download

Microsoft announced this release about a couple weeks ago and it’s finally available download through Microsoft Connect now. If for some reason, this is the first time you heard of Microsoft Security Essentials, congratulations, because from now on you can kiss goodbye to the other anti-virus products, weather it’s free or paid. This is all you need to keep the bad guys away from your computer, assuming you are aware of the basic rules what to do and what not to do.
This Beta version of Microsoft Security Essentials includes the following new features and enhancements to better help protect your PC from threats:

• Enhanced protection through automatic malware remediation: The Beta program will clean highly impacting malware infections automatically, with no required user interaction.
  
• Enhanced performance: The Beta includes many performance improvements to make sure your PC performance isn’t compromised.
  
• Simplified UI – Simplified UI makes Microsoft Security Essentials Beta easier to use.
  
• New and improved protection engine: The updated engine offers enhanced detection with cleanup capabilities and better performance.
  

Interested in giving it a ride?
To download, go to this Microsoft Connect page first. You have to sign in with your Live account to get in. And download a version that matches your Operating system, either 32-bit or 64-bit.
Installation is seamless. It’s even better if you already have MSE installed before. The installation process is smart enough to know and will upgrade it for you without any extra effort.

Once it’s installed, you can verify that the version of MSE is on 4.0 from the About window.

Even though it’s claimed that the beta has the simplified UI, I see it exactly the same as the version 3. But that doesn’t seem matter too much to an anti-virus program, since its main task is to stop the bad worm coming in. Besides, the UI of this Microsoft Security Essentials is fairly good to me.

Tags: hacking microsoft windows 7

Microsoft System Center 2012 Preview Eight new management products

“IT pros have struggled for decades to implement real-world ITIL workflow in their shops. The seeming vastness of ITIL and even its technology-agnostic language are legitimate barriers to its easy adoption in the workplace. But what if your tools enabled ITIL transparently and by design, through time-saving workflow automations, and best practice management techniques?”

Tags: information microsoft

97 percent of Intel testers recommend Windows 7

Intel recently posted the results of a study titled "The Value of PC Refresh with Microsoft Windows 7" in which it describes its experience while testing Windows 7 during the second quarter of 2009 for its own use within the company. As one would expect, Vista's successor received much praise. 291 Intel users out of 300 said they found that Windows 7 showed improvement performance and stability over Windows XP.

Tags: information intel microsoft windows

Windows Mobile 6.5 arrives with new marketplace, cloud sync

Microsoft today announced the availability of the first Windows Mobile 6.5 devices. From now on, every new Windows Mobile phone will simply be referred to as a Windows phone, as the software giant tries to expand its Windows brand to the mobile device. Two accompanying services are also available for the devices: Microsoft My Phone, which allows customers to automatically backup and sync photos, music, contacts, and text messages from their phone to the Web, and Windows Marketplace for Mobile, a store for mobile applications that will be accessible from both the Windows phone and the Web. Finally, Microsoft released the Windows phone Custom Theme Creator so that people can create personalized themes for their Windows phone.
We had a chance to speak with Greg Sullivan, Senior Product Manager for Windows Mobile, and he summarized the company's goals by saying these Windows phones were "not just for work, but for life."

Tags: information microsoft windows