Stories by Matthew Broersma

Suse warns of hole in Linux kernel

Linux distributor Suse has warned of one of the most serious security holes to date in version 2.6 of the Linux kernel, which could allow attackers to shut down a system running 2.6-based software.

Mac worm sparks security concerns

Antivirus experts have warned Mac users and sysadmins against becoming complacent about security after the discovery of a worm targeting the Mac OS X operating system.

Microsoft issues patch for SP2 update

Microsoft has issued a patch for a compatibility problem between the recent Windows XP Service Pack 2 and an advertising application run on many user's machines.

New bug in MySQL

Users of the increasingly popular, open-source MySQL database may be at risk from remote attacks due to a bug in phpMyAdmin, a widely used Web-based MySQL administration tool.

ZigBee future under doubt

Low-power wireless technology, ZigBee, is in danger of succumbing to the fragmentation so far avoided by standards-based specifications such as Wi-Fi and WiMax, according to market researchers.

Government agency warns of Net infrastructure flaw

The U.K. government agency responsible for protecting the country's electronic infrastructure has warned of a wide range of flaws affecting products that rely on MIME, one of the Internet's basic protocols.

Mozilla fixes browser bugs

The Mozilla Foundation has fixed 10 security bugs in its open-source Mozilla and Mozilla Firefox browsers and Thunderbird e-mail reader, with the release of new versions of all three products this week. Some of the vulnerabilities could allow attackers to run malicious code on a user's PC via a malicious email, a specially crafted vCard or a malformed graphic on a Web site, project leaders said.

Unix and Linux admin console exposed by bug

A bug in Usermin, a widely-used administration console for Unix and Linux, could allow an attacker to run malicious code via a specially-crafted email, according to security researchers.

Gartner: Ignore Longhorn and stick with XP

Microsoft Corp. may choose never to release its vaunted and long-overdue project WinFS, following its removal from the next version of Windows, according to Gartner.

More big security holes in Linux

Open-source developers have warned of serious security holes in two Linux components that could allow attackers to take over a system by tricking a user into viewing a specially-crafted image file or opening an archive. Patches exist for the bugs, which affect LHA and imlib.

Microsoft sees open source as immediate threat

Microsoft sees open source software as a more pervasive threat to its business than ever, threatening the company's market share and potentially forcing price cuts, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Debian refuses to add Microsoft anti-spam technology

The Debian operating system project will not implement Microsoft's proposed Sender ID anti-spam specification under the current licensing terms, it has announced, because they are not compatible with open-source licences.

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