[DamnDJ]

Well, it looks like this worm is really picking up steam. I work for an internet company and our queues are currently flooded with customers having this issue.

It even seems to be affecting our internal network; lots of things are crashing, problems with machines, etc.

I can only sit back and laugh about the whole thing as my iBook is sitting right next to me and what do you know, no problems!

I keep telling everyone (co-workers) that Apple has posted a fix for this virus at:

www.apple.com/store

Today is a prime example of why I love being a Mac user.

[wdlove]

You would think that if Bill Gates knows that Windows has flaws he would fix them ASAP!

[DamnDJ]

Originally posted by wdlove:
You would think that if Bill Gates knows that Windows has flaws he would fix them ASAP!

I think Microsoft secretly owns Symantec and McAfee. Just like I think Gilette secretly owns Band-Aid.



Well, I think people have been talking about this worm for a long enough time where I have to put a lot of fault on the end user for not making sure they had the latest security updates. On the other side of the coin, your average grandmom and pop may not have any idea what that stuff is all about.

*sigH* Can't win.

Think Different

[wolfen]

I've been fixing this damn thing all morning, and I've got 2-3 more customers to go. A major local university was hit HARD.

Basically firewalls keep it out, but users take their laptops home...no firewall. Then they return the next day and the fun begins.

It's really easy to clean, though.


wolfen

[Phanguye]

all you have to do is run windows95... then you are good

[7Macfreak]

Originally posted by Phanguye:
all you have to do is run windows95... then you are good

Win95 had it's share of holes. What was that one virus called, that erased your hard disk if you boot it up on certain day? (for the chernobyl cause, or something). And then there was the netbus 'patch', that let you control other computers. That was good fun tho.

[scoxx]

Originally posted by DamnDJ:
It even seems to be affecting our internal network; lots of things are crashing, problems with machines, etc.

What does your incompetent sysadmin have to say? If he hadn't yet applied the patch due to testing, why weren't the ports firewalled?

I keep telling everyone (co-workers) that Apple has posted a fix for this virus

It's not a virus, it's a worm.

Microsoft released the patch on July 16th.

I don't see how people who are unable to patch their systems are better off with MacOS X.

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by scoxx:
I don't see how people who are unable to patch their systems are better off with MacOS X.

[scaught]

Originally posted by scoxx:
I don't see how people who are unable to patch their systems are better off with MacOS X.

ya. me neither.

[DamnDJ]

Originally posted by scoxx:
What does your incompetent sysadmin have to say? If he hadn't yet applied the patch due to testing, why weren't the ports firewalled?



It's not a virus, it's a worm.

Microsoft released the patch on July 16th.

I don't see how people who are unable to patch their systems are
better off with MacOS X.

Issue one: I don't know what they have to say. I am not in that department. Although they are going around now and patching everyones computers. I have to wonder why they waited until now.

Issue two: Yes, I know it's a worm, as I had stated in my first post. Excuse the typo on the response.

Issue three: I never said people who are unable to patch their systems are better off with OS X. I made a comment in jest that a cure for their Windows woes would be to get a Mac.

Jessh. Thanks for the dissection.

[scoxx]

Originally posted by Sherwin:

Are you implying that recent versions of Windows are not capable of automatically downloading and installing updates?

[scoxx]

Originally posted by DamnDJ:
Issue two: Yes, I know it's a worm, as I had stated in my first post. Excuse the typo on the response.

Sorry about that. Didn't notice you used the correct term in the beginning of your post.

Issue three: I never said people who are unable to patch their systems are better off with OS X. I made a comment in jest that a cure for their Windows woes would be to get a Mac.

In this instance the "Windows woes" was a result of not patching. The logical cure would be to patch, not to switch to another OS and not patch that one either.

Jessh. Thanks for the dissection.

If a MacOS X user didn't patch and blamed Apple, I would dissect that too.

[mrfrost]

Originally posted by scoxx:
Are you implying that recent versions of Windows are not capable of automatically downloading and installing updates?

You gat THAT from THIS : ?? Whooaaa!!

[DamnDJ]

Okay well anyway,

Seems that the WORM was not coded very well and it's not gaining in strength as quickly as a lot of people expected it to. The main fear is now someone will create a more properly coded WORM and cause further havok.

Patch your systems!

[scoxx]

Originally posted by Mr_Frost:
You gat THAT from THIS : ?? Whooaaa!!

What did you get from that?

[mrfrost]

Originally posted by scoxx:
What did you get from that?

A "pokey" sensation.

[scoxx]

Originally posted by Mr_Frost:
A "pokey" sensation.

Seeing as how some Mac users rant on about "unstable Windows" being a reason to switch to MacOS X, I wouldn't have been surprised if someone would argue that Windows users would be better off with MacOS X because of "automatic updating".

I now realize that wasn't the case here though

[mrfrost]

Peace man

[Jim_MDP]

Originally posted by DamnDJ:
Apple has posted a fix for this virus at:

www.apple.com/store

I lifted that for another forum. Thanks.

Let me know if you want a cite.

[DamnDJ]

Originally posted by Jim_MDP:
I lifted that for another forum. Thanks.

Let me know if you want a cite.

Make sure you say WORM, and not VIRUS or else you'll get picked apart... hehe

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by scoxx:
Are you implying that recent versions of Windows are not capable of automatically downloading and installing updates?

Ummm.. No... In response to your comment "I don't see how people who are unable to patch their systems are better off with MacOS X.", I was implying that you need to go join a Windows board instead of trolling your evil alliances here.

In case you hadn't noticed, the vast majority of people on this board appear to believe that they're better off with OS X than Windows for just about every reason possible. I'm one of them.

If you can't see why an unpatched OS X system is better than an unpatched Windows system, it's your loss. You could argue with this, but you'd be wrong.

[scoxx]

Originally posted by Sherwin:
I was implying that you need to go join a Windows board instead of trolling your evil alliances here.

I'm a MacOS X user*.

If there's been any trolling in this thread, it's by those who would blame Microsoft for their customers' inaction.

Evil alliances? You're here for the comic relief, aren't you?

If you can't see why an unpatched OS X system is better than an unpatched Windows system, it's your loss.

If you are unable to understand what I wrote in context, that's your loss.

You could argue with this, but you'd be wrong.

Just one fallacy? I know you can do better than that.

* This might come as a shock to you, but it's possible to be a MacOS user without thinking that Steve Jobs is God and Bill Gates the devil.

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by scoxx:
If there's been any trolling in this thread, it's by those who would blame Microsoft for their customers' inaction.

Hmmm... So Microsoft aren't to blame for creating product which requires customer action in the first place?

[scoxx]

Originally posted by Sherwin:
Hmmm... So Microsoft aren't to blame for creating product which requires customer action in the first place?

It's not practically possible to create complex software without bugs.

MacOS X requires patching, just like any other complex piece of software.

If one can blame the creators of the software depends on the specific bug.

One thing Apple has been doing right that Microsoft hasn't* is disabling services and components that most users don't need and which could become potential security issues.

* They've improved lately, but not much.

If you're going to criticize Microsoft, do it over the right issues:
- illegally leveraging their monopoly
- proprietary fileformats
- palladium
- product activation
- passport
- etc

The idea that I'm supposed to be a MS troll makes me laugh. You should head over to this recent Arstechnica news thread. The amount of MS apologists spouting bullshit is amazing. They claim we have anti-trust laws to hurt law-abiding successful companies like Microsoft

[wolfen]

Originally posted by DamnDJ:
Okay well anyway,

Seems that the WORM was not coded very well and it's not gaining in strength as quickly as a lot of people expected it to. The main fear is now someone will create a more properly coded WORM and cause further havok.

Patch your systems!

True. I was reading NTBUGTRAQ mail list today and someone was boasting about how a firewall will prevent it and it's nothing to be worried about.

However...MSBLAST version 2 should include a viral component that will infect networks locally. This would give those laptop infections a LOT more punch.

That's what I thought I'd be facing today...but it was just 1 or 2 systems at each place.

wolfen

[Sherwin]

Originally posted by scoxx:
It's not practically possible to create complex software without bugs.

MacOS X requires patching, just like any other complex piece of software.

So, if I hadn't patched my copy of Jag from first install, I'd have loads of worms/virii/tojans in my system now?

Originally posted by scoxx:
One thing Apple has been doing right that Microsoft hasn't* is disabling services and components that most users don't need and which could become potential security issues.

And therein lies the argument against your original statement that standard dumb users wouldn't be better off with OS X than Windows.

Originally posted by scoxx:
If you're going to criticize Microsoft, do it over the right issues:
- illegally leveraging their monopoly
- proprietary fileformats
- palladium
- product activation
- passport
- etc

I like the "etc" part.

Originally posted by scoxx:
The idea that I'm supposed to be a MS troll makes me laugh.

My bad. You did come across like one though.

[Kenneth]

I have never received any computer virus/worm in all kind..

I want one.

Originally posted by scoxx:
I don't see how people who are unable to patch their systems are better off with MacOS X.

Too bad for you? Do you think every PC user knows to check for security updates every couple of days? Do you think they even know where to get an update? Remember, not every version of Windows affected has an automatic updater (I assume XP does, but I don't know about others).

On MacOS X, not only did the worm not even work, it defaults to asking you to update every week - all the user has to do is click OK.

I don't see how people can think using a Mac would not be better in this context.

[scoxx]

Originally posted by Sherwin:
So, if I hadn't patched my copy of Jag from first install, I'd have loads of worms/virii/tojans in my system now?

There are no remote root exploits for a default Jaguar install. There are however remote root exploits for several disabled by default services, like Samba, that many users enable.

If you click this link with a default Jaguar install, your home directory will be wiped out.

AFAIK, this Windows RPC bug is the first remote LocalSystem exploit for WinXP. OpenBSD, often called the world's most secure OS, was affected by a remote root exploit a year ago.

Security is not a product; it's a process.
- Bruce Schneier

And therein lies the argument against your original statement that standard dumb users wouldn't be better off with OS X than Windows.

Both Win2K SP3 and WinXP have automatic update functionality. WinXP will on first startup request that you configure how often you want it to check and if you want everything to be automatic or not. I don't see any practical issues wrt. patching under either WinXP or MacOS X.

Which brings me back to the context I was referring to earlier. If someone is running < Win2K SP3, is not patching manually and gets hit by e.g. the RPC worm, the logical cure would be to install the automatic update software, not switch to a completely different OS.

There is Win9X, but unless I'm mistaken, MacOS < X doesn't include automatic update software either, so there's no argument there.

Originally posted by scoxx:

There is Win9X, but unless I'm mistaken, MacOS < X doesn't include automatic update software either, so there's no argument there.

You are mistaken. MacOS 9 has Software Update. Win98, 95, and NT don't.

[Scotttheking]

Originally posted by wdlove:
You would think that if Bill Gates knows that Windows has flaws he would fix them ASAP!

Yeah, because it's not like this wasn't fixed 1.5 months ago or anything

That said, I told the admin at work to patch. He didn't.
At 5PM, after everyone went home, I removed it from a system, patched it, and checked some other machines. Tomorrow is my last day at work for a while, I'll probably rip on him.


BTW, OSX has had some nasty security holes too. SSH is the first one I think of.
I never seem to have these windows problems. Must be that I either have auto update / install on (something you can't even do with OSX), or I patch quickly.

[drmcnutt]

Originally posted by DamnDJ:
Well, it looks like this worm is really picking up steam. I work for an internet company and our queues are currently flooded with customers having this issue.

It even seems to be affecting our internal network; lots of things are crashing, problems with machines, etc.

I can only sit back and laugh about the whole thing as my iBook is sitting right next to me and what do you know, no problems!

I keep telling everyone (co-workers) that Apple has posted a fix for this virus at:

www.apple.com/store

Today is a prime example of why I love being a Mac user.

Yeah all you need to do is buy the fan replacement kit.

Oh my bad, wrong problem!

DRM

[Powaqqatsi]

I tried to install the patch but it refuses to install because my system is in the wrong language (it's a Dutch system and the update is US-english I think..). So I went to the belgian M$ website but they redirect me to the english downloadsite and suggest to run windows-update. So... I run Windows Update and it says I don't need to install any updates. Well ok that does it, this computer can get infected.

I do love the language "independance" of OSX..