Hackers make Microsoft look slow
View at IT Week
The recent Windows WMF debacle demonstrates that Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing initiative is little more than a bag of wind. The idea that Microsoft would take a long hard look at all its source code and thereby remove all bugs has always been laughable. It would require the complete rewrite and testing of all Microsoft software, and this is absolutely unthinkable for a company with as much software as Microsoft.
The WMF scandal became public when Microsoft was informed of a remotely exploitable flaw that could be triggered by opening a specially crafted WMF file. Microsoft downplayed the severity of the flaw by saying it was not aware of any customers’ systems being compromised because of the flaw. Clearly this is not the same as someone saying customers systems have not been affected. Anyhow, a few days later, reports of various exploits circulating on the internet presumably caused Microsoft to U-turn on the issue and release its WMF patch.
The recent Windows WMF debacle demonstrates that Microsoft’s Trustworthy Computing initiative is little more than a bag of wind. The idea that Microsoft would take a long hard look at all its source code and thereby remove all bugs has always been laughable. It would require the complete rewrite and testing of all Microsoft software, and this is absolutely unthinkable for a company with as much software as Microsoft.
The WMF scandal became public when Microsoft was informed of a remotely exploitable flaw that could be triggered by opening a specially crafted WMF file. Microsoft downplayed the severity of the flaw by saying it was not aware of any customers’ systems being compromised because of the flaw. Clearly this is not the same as someone saying customers systems have not been affected. Anyhow, a few days later, reports of various exploits circulating on the internet presumably caused Microsoft to U-turn on the issue and release its WMF patch.
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