Search: Home Bugtraq Vulnerabilities Mailing Lists Jobs Tools Beta Programs
Service Pack Deux?
Scott Granneman, 2004-07-08

Microsoft should make SP2 available to all users and backport the changes to older operating systems, or they risk putting profits ahead of security yet again.

Comments Mode:
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-09
Anonymous (4 replies)
Few facts about SP2 anti-piracy. Like you said it will work when you install the SP2, however the Windows Update service won't work since v5 checks product key. So it's possible to install SP2 but not to use Windows Update.

Other thing is that Windows 2000 is 4 years old! and that's a long time ...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-09
Concerned Citizen
>>Other thing is that Windows 2000 is 4 years old! and that's a long time in computer world.<<

If 4 years is too long, what do you make of Microsoft waiting 8 years between the release of XP and Longhorn?

Most of us have figured out that it is too painful to replace operating systems every 18 ...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-10
Anonymous
[quote]Few facts about SP2 anti-piracy. Like you said it will work when you install the SP2, however the Windows Update service won't work since v5 checks product key. So it's possible to install SP2 but not to use Windows Update. [/quote]

hah, give it a month longer and there will most likely be...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-12
Anonymous
A lot of people are still using 2000. In many ways it's less buggy than XP. (Example of a particularly annoying XP bug: Try mapping a network drive as the first available drive letter, then plugging in a USB device!) Yes, it's four years old, but Windows 98 was supported for a long time, too.
...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-14
Anonymous
The other issue is that I have 2 machines that are 5 years old and Windows XP won't work on them. And besides, why should I be forced to upgrade! What would you say if GM or Ford said that we will only repair your car as long as its only 4 years old or newer, all others are on their own and no one...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
upgrade! 2004-07-09
Anonymous
"If customers want more secure systems, then upgrade." - as an open source fan i like to hear these things from microsoft. yes - if you want to have a more secure system, and keep not paying for it - upgrade to any supported linux/*bsd system.


...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-09
Anonymous
Interesting article, and a good peiece of history.

I have been running Service Pack 2 RC2 for a couple of weeks now. I have been fiddling with the new firewall and it seems to be ok. I have not stress tested the secuirty updates yet, but the box seemed to survive open to the net on the UK ISP "NT...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-10
Anonymous
I steal a car and expect the Dealer to honor the warranty??...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-11
TJ (1 replies)
What I never hear in any of these articles or discussions is the lack of any type of enforcement system to punish and stop those individuals who perpetrate computer crimes. Exploiting a security vulnerability should be a crime punishable by some severe measure. Instead, everything is always tilted t...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-13
Anonymous
As has been proven in all other parts of society, you cannot control humans by complaining about their poor moral standards.

IT Security will allways be an issue, even if you eradicate the common hacker, there will still be large scale corporate espionage and 'professional' data collection. If yo...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-12
Philip Wagenaar
All the security updates for bugs that are included in SP 2 can also be manually downloaded from the Microsoft.com. So all users with an illegal version of XP can still fix all the bugs and be secure. The just can't download the service pack and install it, they will have to download all the patches...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-12
Anonymous (1 replies)
Although I agree with a company's right to make a profit on product, I believe that a company is responsible for that product throughout the lifetime of its existence. What is that length? I don't know.

In short, a car company doesn't stop being responsible for a car's safety just because that p...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-13
Anonymous
HAHAHA, are you asking how many security breaches there are in an operating system which has no TCP/IP stack?

As far as local vulnerabilities go, every operating system you mentioned have MANY. Due to the unusual nature of a system I administrate, I have actually audited a windows 3x system withi...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Microsoft's responsibilities.... 2004-07-12
Anonymous (4 replies)
Chevrolet is not required to add airbags to your 1974 Nova. You get what you bought, and don't expect upgrades. You want more features? But a new car.

Pioneer sold me a VHS recorder. Should they upgrade it to a CD player now because the standard has changed? I don't expect them to.

Microsoft s...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Microsoft&#39;s responsibilities.... 2004-07-12
someone247356
Too many car analogies. So here's one more.

Should Microsoft back port security updates to legal users of say Windows 2000 (a.k.a. Win 5.0) and not just Windows XP (a.k.a. Win 5.1)?

Of course. To use the overworked car analogy, it would be as if all post 1999 Ford Explorers were discovered...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Microsoft&#39;s responsibilities.... 2004-07-13
Anonymous
It IS the responsability of Microsoft to tend to all the bugs in it's software because it affects you.
When you go buy a car, you might want to know if it's wheels are properley fitted or if the gas tank is leaking right? What happens when, after driving for a few miles you find out that your car i...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Microsoft's responsibilities.... 2004-07-13
Anonymous (1 replies)
I totally agree...

I also think that it should be illegal to disclaim warranties in License Agreements.

Let's move software development and Licensing into the real world, make companies liable for their faults, just like car manufacturers are, if you want to use the car theft analogy, go right...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Microsoft&#39;s responsibilities.... 2004-07-14
Philip Wagenaar
Everyone is talking about that users should upgrade to a newer model (using the car analogy again)... But it's not about what year or model car you have.. it's about if you stole the car, should the manufacterer then still give your parts to fix the car?...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Microsoft&#39;s responsibilities.... 2004-07-15
Anonymous
Quit you complaining about how you think if you buy something you have to deal with it, because its old. No, you don't have the right to expect new "upgrades" from chevy, but are there constantly people on the road looking to total your car at the first chance they get? NO! Also, if Microsoft didn...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Columnist is 100% right and you guys missed the point... 2004-07-13
Peter (1 replies)
You guy's missed the point.


Worms are a problem to the internet infrastructure. Insecure Windows XP is a problem not only to itself but to ours. In order to protect legal customers, microsoft must also protect non-customers.


Also important, but not as geat perhaps:

1: There are legal c...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Columnist is 100% right and you guys missed the point... 2004-07-15
JGW
Of course, Microsoft could allow the SP2 download but bury somewhere in that 5,000,000 lines of SP2 code a piracy check ... and if it IS pirated, self-destruct on a fixed date, say 60 days after the release date of SP2. Would be interesting to see how many thieves we have in our midst.
...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-13
Anonymous (1 replies)
If your 1974 nova blew up when someone used a cell phone around it, Chevy would indeed have to recall it and fix it.

If the product was properly made the first time, security patches would not be required but since the product was not properly made and is not "fit for purpose" then the manufactu...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-15
Anonymous
And where have you seen any softtware products that have been bug free.
Any major software product will have bugs and we as IT people have to deal with it....

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-13
cfw1 (1 replies)
You analogy seems a bit skewed.

Chevrolet doesn't continue to sell the 1974 vehicle.

When you buy a vehicle from a Chevrolet dealer if something is determined dangerous or unsafe, Chevrolet is expected to issue a recall and or replacement. This is due to market changes, larger competitive env...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-13
Anonymous (2 replies)
I realize of course that analogies are only useful to illustrate a point, not to make the point.

But honestly, no product is perfect. They all contain safety hazards, defects in design, and defects in the production process. It is for these reasons that we have limited warrantees and occasional r...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-14
Anonymous
Limited warrantees are a balance between manufacturing defects (which tend to reveal themselves quickly) and failure as a result of normal wear and tear. A limited warranty which let an auto manufacturer get away with using cardboard steering column would be considered a rip off.
It is a good thing...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-15
Anonymous
Why didn't Al Gore take security into account when he invented the internet?...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
A modest proposal 2004-07-13
Tuco
If Microsoft is so concerned about security and since XP w/ SP2 will DOUBTLESS be the "be all end all" of security I have a modest proposal.

Why don't they allow me to get an upgrade for my Windows 2000 machine to XP SP2 for, say, $20?

-Tuco...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-13
Rich in CT
*sigh*

Another opinion peice offering no more information than what was given in the other 3-4 articles posted on this site regarding SP2. I was hoping for helpful info that would benefit myself and my users but all I found was more anti-Microsoft drivel. Everyone hates Microsoft but we all hav...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-13
jskline
From what I see here; we have the two classes going at it. Fact is, software is not hardware. These things are supposed to be in reasonable condition when we purchase. No they are not cars, or VCR's, or skates. This is software.

Microsoft's record speaks for itself so when you think about it, the...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-14
Anonymous
All I can say is...if you expect Microsoft to solve you security problems, you lose. We will always be subjected to their whims, which will always be driven by the almighty dollar, rupiah, pound, franc, euro, etc.

Thankfully, there's Mozilla and third party desktop firewalls. Now, if someone wi...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Confusion. 2004-07-15
Anonymous
I think some people are getting confused with the idea of upgrading and patching, they are not one in the same.

Since everyone has used the car analogy I will continue to do so.

So your Ford Explorer has a problem that makes the car unsafe (i.e. radio issue). It IS Ford's responsibility to ma...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-15
Anonymous
Indubitably Microsoft has always placed control of licensing ahead of security. To see their prime directive seep into the service pack need is a prime example of this. eula eula eula... But if they don't service the pirated copies, the security holes will still be out there and so will the viruses....

[ more ]  [ reply ]
backporting?? give me a break! 2004-07-16
Anonymous
hello,

i would like to disagree with you where you say MS should backport these changes to older OS's.

why?

I think MS have made a very good move in terms of self-image and security in bringing SP2 out - i dont see why they should spend a lot more time + money on backporting these features ...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Unpatched machines are still source of a threat... 2004-07-16
RedRicK
Ok, my first 0.02$ post here on SecurityFocus, and I am not a native English speaker, so, please, bear with me...

As all of you are perfectly aware, the internet is a vast web, where everyone is connected to (almost) everyone.

Statistically seen, not every computer running MS Windows gets pat...

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-17
Anonymous
I don't believe companies should provide perpetual support for discontinued products just because someone may still be using them. Windows 98 and ME fall into that catagory. Microsoft still sells Windows 2000 though. If I buy a product from you today I expect you to fix its flaws tomorow....

[ more ]  [ reply ]
Service Pack Deux? 2004-07-18
Anonymous
Final point of interest:

If these upgrades directly affect you in any way other than reducing an attackers ability to flood you, then your network is not sufficiently secure at this time....

[ more ]  [ reply ]




 

Privacy Statement
Copyright 2009, SecurityFocus