Grab a Windows WMF Metafile Vulnerability HotFix

Batten down the hatches, kids, there's a new Windows remote execution vulnerability that's exploding like wildfire. This one's sneaky because it uses common graphics files (Windows Metafile). You can get details about the vulnerability by reading "Malicious Hackers Exploit Windows Flaw."

Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn’t released a protective patch yet.

A Temporary Patch

Until Microsoft acts, take advantage of a temporary hotfix made available by Steve Gibson, a security expert based in Irvine, California. Gibson explains the issue on his site in lay terms -- and it's worth the read.

"The patch is an effective stopgap," says Gibson, "but it's temporary." When the official Microsoft hotfix becomes available, Gibson told me, use Windows' Control Panel's "Add/Remove Programs" to remove his hotfix.

Gibson also talks about the vulnerability at the beginning of his weekly audio security podcast available in high and low quality.

Comments

Take Microsoft to the cleaners it's like every other week there’s some hole that’s being exploited, if I went out a bought a car with as many holes in it as Microsoft’s programs, I would get my money back so what makes Microsoft so different just because they are the so called big wigs of the software world doesn’t mean they can give the people shady assed products maybe we should sent Microsoft the bills for out anti-virus maybe then they will stop patching stuff up and just fix the problem.

stephen

January 03, 2006

2:24 AM PT

Your car has a huge number of vulnerabilities. Can it withstand a brick to the window? A knife to the tire? A particle beam accelerator? You people that expect Microsoft to anticipate every way someone might invent an attack in today's fast-paced technologically advancing world must be the same ones that think the world owes you a home, a job, and happiness. Go buy something better if you don't like it. What a dummy.

chris

January 03, 2006

8:16 AM PT

yeah and secondly, this is no hole in the software, once upon a time it was essential piece of coding for those in the printing business,

its retards who want to destroy our computers who release malicious software using these exploits that are the problem. Not microsoft.

lukey

January 03, 2006

3:41 PM PT