News (132)

Microsoft Office flaws up 300 percent

Between 2006 and 2007, there was an almost threefold rise in flaws found in Microsoft software, according to vulnerability-scanning company Qualys. Read more »

IE plus Firefox equals 'critical' security risk

Firefox combined with Internet Explorer on the same desktop opens up a zero day vulnerability that is highly critical, according to security researchers. Read more »

Exploit code makes IE flaw more dangerous

The threat posed by a critical flaw in Internet Explorer has been ratcheted up by the release of a program designed to exploit the vulnerability, security researchers warned on Thursday. Read more »

Code to exploit Windows graphics flaw now public

A sample program hit the Internet on Wednesday, showing by example how malicious coders could compromise Windows computers by using a flaw in the handling of a widespread graphics format by Microsoft's software. Read more »

Apple QuickTime zero-day flaw 'extremely critical'

Security research firm Secunia has reported what it calls an "extremely critical" vulnerability in media-streaming program Apple QuickTime. Read more »

Microsoft RPC exploit could be a packaged deal

While Microsoft has labeled Thursday's emergency patch MS08-067 as "critical" and provided a rareout-of-cycle fix because its exploit could easily be used as worm on a compromised network, one security researcher doesn't think it will happen that way. Read more »

Sun Java patch schedule put millions at risk: eEye

The way Sun Microsystems patched serious vulnerabilities in its Java Runtime Environment (JRE) put millions of users at risk, according to security firm eEye. Read more »

Microsoft patches zero-day Windows Media flaw

Microsoft on Tuesday in the US released seven security updates with patches for 11 security vulnerabilities, most of which affect the Windows operating system. Read more »

Microsoft to fix three 'critical' security holes

Patch Tuesday this week will include fixes for six security bugs, three of which are rated 'critical'. Read more »

Microsoft releases 'critical' updates for new programs

Microsoft on Tuesday released fixes for 19 security flaws in several of its products, including the new Internet Explorer 7, Office 2007 and Exchange 2007. Read more »

Features (10)

New security flaw in Outlook, IE

A Danish security researcher has warned that a recently discovered software flaw could leave user's systems open to malicious code carried on Web pages or in e-mails. Read more »

Watch out for IE Local Zone script injection flaw

A flaw in the way Internet Explorer handles some errors, discovered by security company GreyMagic, could result in an attacker being able to read local files on a system or run various scripting commands. Get the details. Read more »

WinNuke: coming to a system near you

A reincarnated version of the malicious program WinNuke has surfaced and can affect Windows NT, 2000, XP, and .NET by causing disruption and disablement of network communications. Read more »

Bug hunters, software firms in uneasy alliance

Although many software makers promote responsible disclosure, it isn't universally backed by the security community. Critics say it could make security companies lazy in patching. Full disclosure of flaws is better is preferred. Read more »

The secrets of open source security

The Linux vs. Windows security debate is a contest of examples, which stand in place of the concepts that comprise a larger, more fundamental question of what the security benefits and detriments are for the open source and closed source development models. Read more »

ASP.NET security holes

Learn about the recently discovered holes in ASP.NET, and ponder who should be responsible for security. Read more »

Open, closed source security about equal?

Proprietary programs should mathematically be as secure as those developed under the open-source model, a Cambridge University researcher argued in a paper presented in Toulouse, France. Read more »

Increase flexibility with the .NET schema object model

This article from Builder.com examines how the XML schema object model allows you to use .NET classes to manipulate schema components. Read more »

Why open source is bad for Australia

Open source is actually anti-industry, and protecting it is not in Australia's interests, says one industry observer. Read more »

James Gosling Q & A

James Gosling was in Australia this week to give two question-and-answer session to local developers. A rare opportunity for local developers, Builder AU was on hand to transcribe the event for those who couldn't make it. Read more »

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  • Staff Crying, mooning and leaving

    In this week's roundup we see that continuous whining can get results, Linux users get 64-bit Flash and Moonlight previews, the latest in the Yahoo/Microsoft relationship and Senator Conroy ducks and weave in Senate Question Time. Read more »

    -- posted by Staff

  • Brendon Chase Sun eye Web developers with Netbeans 6.5

    Despite the recent employment axe hitting Sun the company has pushed out a new release of its Netbeans open source IDE with an eye to appeal more to Web developers. Read more »

    -- posted by Brendon Chase

  • Renai LeMay BarCamp buzz: Let the hacking continue

    Attending last weekend's BarCamp in Sydney, it was hard to escape the conclusion that a certain "dot-com bust" flavour had seeped into the kool aid previously being drunk by Australia's web 2.0 and early stage start-up sector. Read more »

    -- posted by Renai LeMay

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