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MS warns users about Safari/Windows vulnerability

updated 11:10 am EDT, Mon June 2, 2008

MS on Safari vulnerability


Owners of Windows XP and Vista should avoid using Apple's Safari browser for the foreseeable future, Microsoft has warned. The company notes that while there is a vulnerability in how XP and Vista handle executables on the desktop, this may not be an immediate issue except that browsers like Safari do not ask permission to download a number of files. An independent analyst, Nilesh Dhanjani, suggests that this could be used to litter websites with automatic malware downloads, effectively "carpet-bombing" PCs.

Until the issue is fixed, Microsoft is recommending that people "restrict use of Safari as a web browser until an appropriate update is available from Microsoft and/or Apple." The latter has so far declined to comment on the state of Safari.


by MacNN Staff

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TAGS :

 security, Microsoft, Vista, Windows, Safari, Windows XP, Apple

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  1. bobolicious

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2002

    +5
    06/02, 11:14am | report spam | Reply |

    Buy a mac...

    ...and get over it...
    ;-)

  1. jarod

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Apr 2005

    +10
    06/02, 11:16am | report spam | Reply |

    MS reports on security?

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

  1. Constable Odo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2007

    +1
    06/02, 11:19am | report spam | Reply |

    Scare Safari users...

    to eliminate the competition. Good one, MS. I guess no other browser has this vulnerability problem but Safari.

  1. UserFriendly

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2008

    +3
    06/02, 11:22am | report spam | Reply |

    Hitjob by Microsuck

    Which browser would have "vulnerabilities" next? Firefox perhaps?

  1. bezoar1340

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: May 2008

    +2
    06/02, 11:42am | report spam | Reply |

    Windoze Vista/XP

    Windoze Vista and XP are a vulnerability in their own right. Geez Bill, when you steal something you're SUPPOSED to make it better--Tee Hee

    Comment buried. Show
  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -23
    06/02, 12:11pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    Re: scare

    Well, if you read the note, you'll notice it is the only browser worth mentioning. Firefox doesn't have the issue. And I don't think they're too worried about Safari taking away their market share, Firefox is by far a more serious threat (although Apple offering up Safari to iTunes users sure helps Apple load that software on more and more machines - almost viral like).

    Oh, and for those who didn't notice it, they also mention a problem with XP and Vista and how it handles programs on the desktop. But, hey, let's ignore that, because they dare slam Apple!

    BTW, this bug/issue has been known for a while, and Apple apparently is still "mum" on it. Yeah, that's a way to get into good graces with potential enterprise markets, don't say anything about possible security issues, like sticking your head in the sand.

  1. dliup

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2006

    -3
    06/02, 12:26pm | report spam | Reply |

    Insecurity

    Windows is insecure.

    Safari uses the Windows's protocals.

    Think about where the insecurity is, you low IQ t*** eater.

  1. nat

    Junior Member

    Joined: Mar 2002

    +1
    06/02, 12:44pm | report spam | Reply |

    my gawd!

    testudo restained from his usual style post!oh wait, no he didn't. my bad."you'll notice it is the only browser worth mentioning"yeah, like where it says "browsers like Safari"."Apple load that software on more and more machines - almost viral like"uh huh, kinda like the gaping security hole known as internet explorer, you know the one, that some companies have banned and some security people have suggest ripping out.but hey, that doesn't matter because you're here to slam apple posters and give ms a free pass. damn! i just made a testudo comment!

    Comment buried. Show
  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -15
    06/02, 01:01pm | report spam | Reply |

    Re: my gawd

    "yeah, like where it says "browsers like Safari"

    Right, because it is the browser with the issue. Duh. What would you have them say "There's issues with unnamed browsers that could cause problems."

    And if anyone hear read the tech note, you'd notice it isn't written as "safari-hating" as MacNN and you all make it out to be. Let alone the way it is perceived, like MS made a big PR announcement not to use it.

    uh huh, kinda like the gaping security hole known as internet explorer, you know the one, that some companies have banned and some security people have suggest ripping out.

    Except the 'viral' point wasn't related to security issues, but on market share (oh, heaven, I'm sorry, I guess I need to make things easier for the fanboys to read). Firefox is much more of a threat to MS than Safari, so there's no reason for MS to 'hate' on Safari when it does no good.

    And, since we'll go with it, I'm sure you're all in favor of Apple pushing software at people who neither requested it or used it. But, hey, that's fine, because it's Apple. I'm sure if you were on your mac and MS prompted you to install MSN for Mac, you'd be happy too.

    but hey, that doesn't matter because you're here to slam apple posters and give ms a free pass. damn! i just made a testudo comment!

    As opposed to most of the people here, who apparently exist just to bash MS, even if they don't know what they're talking about.

    Because of all the replies, not one has ripped MS for their half of this issue (in fact, I'm the only one who's even noticed they admitted to their half of the issue, but let's ignore that too, huh). It's all "Windows is a security hole!" and BS like that. No real information, just the usual bashing. Yet, I make a comment about Apple and its "Help us oh Lord Steve! Testudo dares comment negatively about the greatness of Apple!"

    And instead of just shouting down people, why not bring in the real heat, and recite apple's position on this bug. Oh, right, you can't quote silence.

  1. nat

    Junior Member

    Joined: Mar 2002

    +4
    06/02, 01:36pm | report spam | (3 replies) Reply |

    knickers

    are your knickers in a knot? loosen them.

    "And instead of just shouting down people"

    oh, that is rich! that is simply marvelous! i do love it so!

    you don't get it do you. no one gives a rats a** about your thoughts. not now. not yesterday. not tomorrow. not ever. period.
    rant, stomp, throw fits, make declarations, doesn't matter, you are so way past the point of anybody ever taking anything you say seriously that it's a joke that you still come here. and the joke is on you. right, wrong, it doesn't matter. nobody cares about you or what you think. and you just don't get it. and you didn't get it yesterday and you don't get it today and you won't get it tomorrow.

    shout, scream, throw a little hissy fit, keep posting as we gloss over it or occassionaly stop to tell you what a s****** you are, but we don't care about the contents. we simply and completely do not care.

    but, hey, as long as you're being stubborn we're going to have our fun.

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