Bumper batch of bugs plagues Windows

Found on New Scientist on Wednesday, 14 April 2004
Browse Software

One of the biggest batches yet of software bugs in Microsoft's Windows software was revealed on Tuesday, prompting users to scramble to install patches to secure home and office computers against potential attack.

A total of 20 individual vulnerabilities were announced by Microsoft in four security bulletins. Three of the bulletins, containing all but one of the bugs, were classified as "critical", the most severe category. Software downloads to rectify all of the problems were released along with details of the flaws.

The 14 bugs described in the first of bulletins affect all Windows operating systems to some degree. The bugs reside in the peripheral programs that Windows calls upon to perform certain tasks, and many of these are switched on by default when Windows is installed.

MS recently said that it's planning to pay more attention to security. Obviously, there is a lot to pay attention to. And it also proves how wrong the statements of Green Hills were when they said that closed source is safer than open source.