Mon 13 Jul 2009
Critical Windows Updates Are Coming
Posted by Syd Tash under Updates
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July 14 is Patch Tuesday, when Microsoft issues its fixes, repairs and updates for its software. So what goodies does the company have on tap for us this time? Well, Microsoft has been working at blinding speed to fix those two critical, zero-day bugs I have been telling you about over the last few weeks. The patches should be available in the upcoming update. A zero-day flaw is a new vulnerability for which no fix is yet available.
One bug is in the Video ActiveX control, and the other is in the DirectShow software which is part of DirectX. Microsoft calls these “Browse-and-Get-Owned” flaws, because if you go to an infected site, it could seize control of your PC by way of these bugs.
Note that only older versions of Windows are affected. Vista is NOT affected by this particular problem. The ActiveX exploit has been seen on Web sites in China.
In all, six security bulletins are expected from Microsoft, of which at least one other will indeed be for Vista. Make sure you update your computer on July 14, or watch that it updates itself automatically.
