News Archives from 2001 (June 01 - June 30, 2001)
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Amiga
24 June 2001 - New Xvs.library v33.26 Released
Jan Erik Olausen (JEO), released a new XvsLibrary. The archive is named
xvslibrary3326.lha, and can be found on the downloads page, by following
the above link.
24 June 2001 - VirusExecutor v2.19 Released
Jan Erik Olausen released a new version of his virus killer. The archive
is named VirusExecutor219.lha, and can be found on the downloads page, by
following the above link. For changes since last version, see the readme
file.
* VirusExecutor Homepage at Virus Help Team Canada
Has links to all files required and recommended to run VE2.19
24 June 2001 - VHT-DK Warning: Linkvirus Found (no name yet)
Virus Help Denmark reports they received a new virus, and it is very
tricky. Jan Erik Olausen, the programmer of VirusExecutor & xvs.library,
has decoded the virus, and is working on it right now. There is "NO" cure
for this virus right now.
Follow the above link for viruswarning - file is named vht-dk102.lha.
* Click here for VHT-DK Virus Warning vht-dk102 Readme
* Subscribe online to the VHT-DK Virus Warnings Announcement list.
24 June 2001 - Virus Help Team Netherlands Back Online
Alex Van Niel (a.vanniel@chello.nl), VHT-NL Webmaster, had this posted:
21-June 2001 - Our apologies for the long delay in updating this site.
Personal problems and a very busy agenda prevented us from doing the
needed work here. We have been succesfull in correcting this however and
hope that it will not happen again. This site is supposed to be updated
frequently again with lots of news, information and updates. Stay tuned!
21 June 2001 - Safe v16.0 Released
Zbigniew `Zeeball` Trzcionkowski released his latest freeware virus
dicovering system. Safe informs about attack and removes virus from
memory if possible. The archive is named Safe160.lha, and can be found
on the downloads page, by following the above link.
20 June 2001 - VEPatchBrain v1.35 for VirusExecutor Available
Jan Erik Olausen has released a new PatchBrain v1.35, for his viri
checking program VirusExecutor. This brain file can be used with any
VE 2.xx version. For changes since last version, read the readme file.
19 June 2001 - Charlene Is Now A Happy MUI Registered User
Today I became a registered user of Magic User Interface, when MUI author
Stefan Stuntz, e-mailed me my own personal keyfile. I found I had been
having quite a few problems with the font/screen prefs, but was informed
by the Voodoo-X author to try out the PSI program. This works perfectly
within MUI, and I am now able to enjoy MUI applications. Hence, I decided
to register, and support Stefan. Click on the above link to go the the
SASG Homepage and follow the MUI links. Alternately, you can try out MUI
yourself, by downloading from Aminet.
* Aminet: Search MUI 3.8
19 June 2001 - Safe v15.9 Released
Zbigniew `Zeeball` Trzcionkowski released his latest freeware virus
dicovering system. Safe informs about attack and removes virus from
memory if possible. The archive is named Safe159.lha, and can be found
on the downloads page, by following the above link.
19 June 2001 - NList MUI Custom Class v0.90 Released
Gilles Masson had released his latest Magic User Interface custom class
last February 21st, 2001. It is now available here. The archive is named
MCC_NList0_90.lha, and can be found by following the above link.
11 June 2001 - New Xvs.library v33.25 Released By New Programmer
Jan Andersen, of Virus Help Denmark, announced a programmer change from
Alex van Niel (anti-virus programmer of VirusChecker-II/NG) to Jan Erik
Olausen (JEO is the anti-virus programmer of VirusExecutor). The archive
is named xvslibrary3325.lha, and can be found on the downloads page, by
following the above link. What's new, can be found in the readme file.
Here is an excerpt from the VHT-DK Announcement:
"The xvs.library (External Virus Support Library) has been updated today.
Alex van Niel has decided to stop programming the xvs.package but will
still update VirusChecker when he has the time. Alex got a new job that
takes almost all his time. At this time I got very cold feet... Where
would we find a new programmer that know something about viruses ? Or
even worth, should we stop "Virus Help Denmark", without programmers to
make antivirus programs, where would we be ??? And where would YOU
BE ??????? So we went out looking for a new programmer to update the
xvs.library. And with Georg Hoermann's approval we offered the code to
a great guy, Jan Erik Olausen, and he said YES :-)
So, Jan has been rather busy in the last 4 weeks with adding new viruses
and looking at the code for xvs. And now his first release is ready.
PS: If you think that Jan Erik Olausen is doing one hell of a job, with
keeping you Amiga secure for viruses, then send him a little donation. I
know that xvs.library and VirusExecutor is freeware, but Jan has done
one hell of a job in the last 6 month, to add new virus recog. in
VirusExecutor and now with xvs.library. Send him 4 or 5 US-$, a postcard
and even flowers, if you think he is doing a great job, and would like
to keep the xvs.library alive......" Kind regards, Jan Andersen
10 June 2001 - VHT-DK Warning: Bobek-2 Linkvirus Found
Virus Help Denmark reports "What we think is the installer of the new
linkvirus 'Bobek2' has been found. It was on Aminet but has been removed
now. But there just might be a few more installers our there, so take
care. Right now that is no cure for the 'Bobek2' virus."
Follow the above link for viruswarning - file is named vht-dk101.lha.
* Click here for VHT-DK Virus Warning vht-dk101 Readme
* Subscribe online to the VHT-DK Virus Warnings Announcement list.
08 June 2001 - Safe v15.8 Released
Zbigniew `Zeeball` Trzcionkowski released his latest freeware virus
dicovering system. Safe informs about attack and removes virus from
memory if possible. The archive is named Safe158.lha, and can be found
on the downloads page, by following the above link.
02 June 2001 - Amiga.info: Ottawa Amiga Show Date change!
Amiga.info, issued a Press Release that says in part: Regarding our
Ottawa Amiga Show dates of July 28 and 29, we have decided to move the
Amiga show. Once we have confirmed a date for the OAS, we will let every
one know (likely September 8 and 9, 2001).
* Maybe A BBQ for Amiga Users
On the weekend of July 28-29 we may have a BBQ for Amiga users who are
interested in doing something. No vendors vending, just users around the
BBQ talking about our favorite computer, and perhaps about the Ottawa
Amiga Show. Keep an eye on the Amiga.info website for more information.
Top of Page
Windows
29 June 2001 - Outlook 2002 Address Book Glitch
MSNBC Bug Of The Day reports that upgrading from Outlook 98 Corporate or
Workgroup to Outlook 2002 may trigger the following error the first time
an Internet e-mail address is added to the Personal Address Book:
"Microsoft Outlook has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are
sorry for the inconvenience". To resolve this glitch, follow the bug
reports steps.
28 June 2001 - DAT / SDAT 4145 McAfee Total Virus Defense Update
DAT File for weekly v4x 4144, and SuperDat File for v4x 4140/4145
are now available on Network Associates website.
Dr Solomon's VirusScan customers download here.
For more information on the use of the dat files, please see the
NAI's readme.txt. or download VirusScan v4.5 Admin Guide.
* Click here for VirusScan Emergency DATS
28 June 2001 - Updated .def Files Available for F-PROT
Frisk Software International announced new Sign.def and Sign2.def files
are availble. Also there is the Sign2.zip file which contains only the
file sign2.def without the sign.def file and, as a result, it is quite a
bit smaller than both def files together. Note that this sign2.def file
includes advanced generic detection capabilities which should hopefully
enable F-Prot to find most future variants of the VBS/LoveLetter worm.
The updates are available now at ftp://ftp.complex.is/pub/
* June 28 2001 releases
fp-def.zip 758Kb plus fp-def.asc
sign2.zip 127Kb
28 June 2001 - When You Can't Quit Excel 2002
MSNBC Bug Of The Day reports that trying to quit out of MS Excel 2002 by
selecting the Exit command on the File menu or by choosing the Close
button may not work. To fix the problem, read the bug report.
27 June 2001 - MSNBC Bug Of The Day Front Page
Latest bug reports
* Netscape: Plenty to get MAB about
In its latest release, Netscape address books can be imported from other
e-mail clients, but no option exists to export Netscape 6 address book
data.
* Inspiron 5000 notebook too hot to handle?
Dell is recalling some batteries sold with their Inspiron 5000 notebook
computers. The ones in question were shipped between 1/7/2000 and
3/21/2001. The batteries may overcharge, overheat, and possibly catch
fire. For an exact determination of which batteries are covered, check
out the bug report.
26 June 2001 - New Scanning Activity Exploiting SubSeven Victims
The NIPC and FedCIRC have recently received information on attempts to
locate, obtain control of and plant new malicious code known as
"W32-Leaves.worm" on computers previously infected with the SubSeven
Trojan. This new activity, currently under investigation, further
increases the importance that all users of Microsoft operating systems
take precautions against infection by SubSeven Trojan variants, and,
if infected, promptly implement the known procedures to remove the
SubSeven infection.
26 Jun 2001 - Macro.def for F-PROT Released
Frisk Software International has a new Macro.def for F-PROT. This version
of Macro.def was last modified/changed on: June 19, 2001
* See ftp://ftp.complex.is/pub/ for:
macrdef2.zip 199Kb
26 June 2001 - MSNBC: Bug of the Day Front Page
A few bug reports that may help you:
* June 25: Windows CE Entertainment Pack no fun?
Trying to install any of the games included in the MS Entertainment Pack
for Windows CE 2 may trigger this error: "Game does not support the
connected device type: the applications manager will make the applicat
available for when a supported device is connected. where game is the
program file of the game that is being installed". The culprit: An Intel
Strongarm processor installed in the Windows CE device. Read the bug
report for a resolution.
* June 21: When GoLive 5 goes dead
According to Adobe, GoLive 5 for Windows may crash on a Hewlett-Packard
Pavilion or other HP computer where the HP Updates/BackWeb InfoExpress
Client has been installed. read report to find out how to prevent this.
21 June 2001 - Malicious Code in RTF Files
Kaspersky Lab says a Trojan program penetrates computers when reading
RTF files, and warns users about the discovery of the Trojan "Goga" that
steals and sends out from infected computers user details for Internet
access...
21 June 2001 - DAT / SDAT 4144 McAfee Total Virus Defense Update
DAT File for weekly v4x 4144, and SuperDat File for v4x 4140/4144
are now available on Network Associates website.
Dr Solomon's VirusScan customers download here.
For more information on the use of the dat files, please see the
NAI's readme.txt. or download VirusScan v4.5 Admin Guide.
* Click here for VirusScan Emergency DATS
21 June 2001 - Hackers ZDNet Virus & Hacking Homepage
* Microsoft urges urgent action on Windows security hole
A vulnerability affecting every version of Windows 2000 and current
Windows XP betas allows remote attackers to take control of victims'
machines
* Web at risk from new MS flaw
Microsoft warns of a 'serious vulnerability' in its IIS software,
installed on Web servers by default and used to run up to 6 million
sites. Administrators are urged to patch the flaw - before it opens the
door to a massive attack by hackers
21 June 2001 - MSNBC Bug of the Day Front Page
A number of reports since last count.
* June 20: MSN MoneyCentral locks up browser
Restoring or opening an MSN MoneyCentral Investor data file in the
Portfolio Manager may trigger certain behaviors
* June 19: Hackmaster hacks crashes Visor
Removing the Backup Module on a Visor may cause the handheld device to
crash, says Handspring.
* June 18: Error erupts on WinME upgrade
If a user has Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) installed on a Windows
98 SE system, and then upgrades to Windows Me, an error may erupt after
running the Automatic Updates feature for the first time, says Microsoft
* June 15: When Dreamweaver loses its style
Across all versions and platforms, text located in a table cell in
Dreamweaver may lose the style sheet definition when viewed in a
Netscape browser, says Macromedia.
* June 14: Reviving Norton Internet Security 2001 Family Edition 3
When a Windows 95, 95B, 98, or Me system running Norton Internet
Security (NIS) 2001 Family Edition 3 shuts down, an error may be
generated, says Symantec.
* June 13: Saving changes in Acrobat Reader
According to Adobe, changes made to a file in Acrobat Reader 5
(Windows and Macintosh versions) may not be saved, although a copy of
a PDF file can be saved to the hard drive. The only way to work around
this limitation is to use the full version of Acrobat 5.
* June 12: Norton AntiVirus memory leak fix
According to Symantec, the memory leak that surfaced running Norton
AntiVirus Corporate Edition (NACE) while scanning certain types of
compressed files has been fixed in NACE 7.5.1.
* June 11: FrontPage 2002 marginwidth error
When attempting to set a margin width of 0 for a Microsoft FrontPage 2002
inline frame, the following error message may appear: "Please enter an
integer between 1 and 100000." Read report for workaround.
21 June 2001 - Buffer Overflow Vulnerability in MS IIS 4.0 and 5.0
The NIPC and FedCIRC are jointly issuing this advisory to highlight
the significance of the above vulnerability, addressed in Microsoft
Security Bulletin MS01-033 from yesterday. Attackers can remotely gain
SYSTEM LEVEL ACCESS (root) on any computer running Microsoft's IIS Web
server software. System-level access allows a user full access to the
server, so as to install malicious code, run programs, reconfigure,
add, change, or delete files. The NIPC and FedCIRC consider this to be
a significant threat due to the large installed based of IIS users.
19 June 2001 - Important Information Regarding Licensing Advisory
Recently, an important message was sent to all subscribers of CA email
lists regarding an urgent licensing matter. The message, entitled
"Urgent Licensing Advisory", stated CA enterprise solutions utilizing the
"LicenseIT" tool may be affected by a license key set to expire on
June 15th, 2001. Please be advised that this does not affect InoculateIT
Personal Edition (IPE). For more information about this advisory, please
follow the above link.
19 June 2001 - IPE Update Reminder for update 1253
Computer Associates (CAI), announced in their June 14th, 2001 Newsletter,
that to download the latest signature file for IPE without going through
your Web browser, you can use the new "Auto Download" feature inside IPE
(Tools, AutoDownload) or the AutoDownload application to check for
updated signatures,download, and install them. Alternatively, the update
file can be obtained by following the above link.
07 June 2001 - Miss World`s Photos Hide a Dangerous Internet-Worm
Kaspersky Lab warns about the discovery of a new extremely dangerous
Internet-worm "I-Worm.MsWorld". MsWorld is written in Visual Basic
programming language with embedded Macromedia Flash modules. The worm
spreads in attached files via e-mail by using the widely-used MS Outlook
e-mail program. It initiates a mass mailing routine, modifies a .BAT, and
then formats all system disks. "MsWorld" also tries to delete the Windows
system registry files.
07 June 2001 - DAT / SDAT 4142 McAfee Total Virus Defense Update
DAT File for weekly v4x 4142, and SuperDat File for v4x 4140/4142
are now available on Network Associates website.
Dr Solomon's VirusScan customers download here.
For more information on the use of the dat files, please see the
NAI's readme.txt. or download VirusScan v4.5 Admin Guide.
07 June 2001 - IPE AntiVirus Update Number 1242 Available
Computer Associates (CAI), announced in their June 6th, 2001 Newsletter,
that the new update kit for the signature file used in InoculateIT
Personal Edition AntiVirus (Current IPE version 5.2), has been uploaded
to the Computer Associates web site for you to download.
It is recommended that once you have downloaded and installed an update
that you do a virus scan of all the files on your system and create a new
reference disk for your system.
* InoculateIT Personal Edition Homepage
* InoculateIT Support
07 June 2001 - CAI: InoculateIT Personal Edition No Longer Free
On Thursday June 7, 2001, Computer Associates (CA) ended the InoculateIT
Personal Edition, eTrust Mail Watcher, and eTrust Content Inspection
Personal Edition promotional programs. These promotional programs have
been replaced with eTrust EZ Armor - the first solution set available
from my-eTrust.com.
* InoculateIT Personal Edition - Signature Updates Are Still Available
Although the InoculateIT Personal Edition program has ended, CA will
continue to provide signature updates for registered users of InoculateIT
Personal Edition v5.2, for as long as it is installed on their current
personal computer, running one of the following supported operating
systems: Windows 95/98/Me
Windows NT 4.0 Workstation
Windows 2000 Professional
* Information for Current InoculateIT Personal Edition Users
* New Line of Anti-virus Software Products by Computer Associates
EZ Armor $49.95 USD / Yearly Renewal $19.95 USD
A suite of eTrust Personal Security Solutions, prepackaged for your
convenience into a single easy to use install image, which includes
personal Antivirus, Firewall, and malicious eMail protection.
Comprehensive suite of personal security solutions including eTrust EZ
Antivirus, eTrust EZ Firewall, and eTrust EZ Deskshield.
Trial version of eTrust EZ Armor FREE for 60 days
EZ Antivirus $19.95 USD / Yearly Renewal $9.95 USD
Award winning personal Antivirus solution for use on individual
machines.
Trial version of eTrust EZ Antivirus FREE for 60 days
EZ Firewall $29.95 USD / Yearly Renewal $14.95 USD
Effective, easy to use personal firewall for individual machines.
Trial version of eTrust EZ Firewall FREE for 60 days
EZ Deskshield $19.95 USD / Yearly Renewal $9.95 USD
Unique technology which shields your desktop computer from potentially
malicious eMail content.
Trial version of eTrust EZ Deskshield FREE for 60 days
07 June 2001 - F-PROT and F-PROT for Windows v3.09c Released
Frisk Software International has a new version of F-PROT and F-PROT for
Windows v3.09c available on their FTP Site. The update has been available
since June 5th, 2001 at ftp://ftp.complex.is/pub/
* Jun 5 2001 releases
fp-309c.zip 1313Kb plus fp-309c.asc
* Read more about F-Prot for Windows (FP-WIN) package
* Download Page for downloading the Trial version of FP-WIN
* Order Page for F-Prot for Windows [Secure Order Form]
07 June 2001 - Bug of the Day Front Page
MSNBC Bug Of The Day lastest reports:
* Personal Firewall can lock up if overwhelmed
System lockups and slow performance may be par for the course, if too
many programs are configured to autostart with Personal Firewall running
on a Windows 98- or Me-based system, says McAfee. Read the bug report to
find out how to prevent problems.
* Bug Alert: Microsoft Media Player triple play
Buffer, temporary files, privacy vulnerabilities threaten versions 6.4,
7.0. KeyLabs has tested the bugs and verified the latest patch/upgrade,
which promises to address all three vulnerabilities.
* QuickBooks may balk at dual monitors
A Windows-based computer with an ATI Radeon video card or a card that
supports dual monitors may provoke a QuickBooks 2001 error, says Intuit.
Read the report for instructions on how to temporarily disable the dual
monitor video driver.
07 June 2001 - ZDNet Virus & Hacking News Homepage
Hackers ZDNet's latest reports:
* Windows XP slammed as gift to 'zombie' hackers
Steve Gibson, president of Gibson Research Group, and security expert is
convinced that a new feature in Windows XP will make launching denial of
service attacks childs-play, but Microsoft insists that the new operating
system is its most secure ever
* Snow White: Who's been sleeping in my Inbox?
New variant of email virus promises to have serious staying power in
2001. Currently, the virus is rated number two on Trend Micros "Top Ten"
virus list.
07 June 2001 - GnuPG 1.0.6 Released
Pretty Good Privacy International, (PGPi) says version 1.0.6 of the
GNU Privacy Guard is now available for download. This is a maintenance
release that fixes a number of bugs. The GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG) is a
free, GPLed RFC2440 (OpenPGP) implementation. It is being developed by
Werner Koch in Germany. Currently it is only available as a command line
program (Unix, Windows and DOS), but a GUI version is planned.
07 June 2001 - Disable Visual Bacis Script [VBS] on Your Computer
Virus Help Denmark says VBS/LoveLetter and related viruses have to the
have the association for the VBS extension to the Windows Scripting Host
(WSH) to spread. If this association is removed, the you will not be able
to execute VBScripts by double-clicking them, any longer. Follow the
instructions given in the links at vht-dk. Choices for operating system
instructions include: Windows 95/98, Windows 2000 and Windows NT
05 June 2001 - Updated .def Files Available for F-PROT
Frisk Software International announced new Sign.def and Sign2.def files
are availble. Also there is the Sign2.zip file which contains only the
file sign2.def without the sign.def file and, as a result, it is quite a
bit smaller than both def files together.
The updates are available now at ftp://ftp.complex.is/pub/
* June 05 2001 releases
fp-def.zip 755Kb plus fp-def.asc
sign2.zip 126Kb
05 June 2001 - MS Publisher Wizard Workarounds
MSNBC Bug Of The Day reports that the Import Word Document Wizard in
Microsoft Publisher 2002 may default to the predefined margin settings
for a text frame when a Word document with custom margin and indent
settings is imported. Read bug report for details and workaround options.
02 June 2001 - Updated HOAX Report: How to restore the Sulfnbk.exe file
Symantec Security's newest information on this Virus Hoaxes, reports
"This particular email message is a hoax. The file that is mentioned in
the hoax, Sulfnbk.exe, is a Microsoft Windows utility. The virus/worm
W32.Magistr.24876@mm can arrive as an attachment named Sulfnbk.exe. The
Sulfnbk.exe file used by Windows is located in the C:\Windows\Command
folder. If the file is located in any other folder, or arrives as an
attachment to a email message, then it is possible that the file is
infected. If you have deleted the Sulfnbk.exe file from the
C:\Windows\Command folder and want to know how to restore the file, see
the "How to restore the Sulfnbk.exe file" section at the end of this
document."
02 June 2001 - Is Your Excel Workbook 'save' Backfiring?
MSNBC Bug Of The Day reports that saving a workbook as an Excel 2002
add-in, may backfire under these certain conditions, says Microsoft.
Read the bug report to find out how to resolve this situation.
02 June 2001 - Missing @ in MS Word 2002
MSNBC Bug Of The Day reports that when the Speech command on the Tools
menu in Microsoft Word 2002 is used to dictate an e-mail address, the
@ symbol may not be included. Read the bug report to find the solution.
02 June 2001 - When Money Doesn't Give You What You Want
MSNBC Bug Of The Day reports that according to Microsoft, selecting the
option to show calculation details in the Performance by Investment Type
Report for a specific time period in Money 2001 may reflect buy and sell
transactions from other time periods. Read the bug report on how this can
happen.
Top of Page
Macintosh
29 June 2001 - Virex Update To Virus DAT For Scan Engine Available
Networks Associates Technology, Inc. has the current Virex Scan Engine
Version: 4131. Includes these Virus Definition files: 4143. For further
information, read the Release Notes for this Virex Virus Update.
* Virex FTP Site at ftp://ftp.nai.com/pub/antivirus/datfiles/mac/virex
26 June 2001 - MAC: Trouble creating documents in Dreamweaver?
MSNBC Bug Of The Day reports that across all versions, launching
Macromedia Dreamweaver for Macintosh may trigger the following message:
"Unable to create unnamed document". An extension conflict is the
culprit, and can be resolved by following the instructions Dreamweaver
Extensions TechNote 12836, found in the bug report.
21 June 2001 - Saving changes in Acrobat Reader
MSNBC Bug of the day says according to Adobe, changes made to a file in
Acrobat Reader 5 (Windows and Macintosh versions) may not be saved,
although a copy of a PDF file can be saved to the hard drive. The only
way to work around this limitation is to use the full version of
Acrobat 5.
02 June 2001 - Virex Update To Virus DAT For Scan Engine Available
Networks Associates Technology, Inc. has the current Virex Scan Engine
Version: 4131. Includes these Virus Definition files: 4137. For further
information, read the Release Notes for this Virex Virus Update.
Top of Page
Linux
28 June 2001 - Latest Linux Weekly News Released
LWN.net Weekly Edition for June 28th, 2001 has been published. Some of
the security issues covered: Samba remote root exploit, ePerl, w3m,
cfingerd, ntping, new vulnerabilities in pmpost, and more.
21 June 2001 - Latest Linux Weekly News Released
LWN.net Weekly Edition for June 21st, 2001 has been published.
Security: The Danger of Posting Images, a look into the world of 13 year
old hackers, new vulnerabilities in fetchmail, rxvt and more.
08 June 2001 - Embedded Linux Newsletter for June 7, 2001
LWN.net announced the weekly Embedded Linux Newsletter has been released
for this week. Top stories include coverage of Ripley, a wearable
computer and the Sharp Zaurus move to Linux.
08 June 2001 - Fluffy Bunny speaks on IRC
LWN.net Daily news says the cracker behind the SourceForge, Themes.org
and Apache breakins has apparently done an IRC interview, the summary of
which has been posted to SecurityFocus. "The cracker also explained how
all the recent compromises were related. The common link: a packet
sniffer Fluffy Bunny put in place on Exodus. "There was a sniffer on
exodus yes, but there are sniffers everywhere," Bunny wrote." The
identity of the interviewee has not been confirmed, however. (LWN says
Thanks to Joe Barr)
07 June 2001 - Latest Linux Weekly News Released
LWN.net Weekly Edition for June 7th, 2001 has been published.
02 June 2001 - Enter Runix: Linux for the PlayStation (ZDNet)
LWN.net Daily news says Runix, which is coming from a Czech company, is
set to be released under the GPL in order "to make the PlayStation2 a low
cost PC," according to this ZDNet story.
* MSNBC Runix Story: Linux for the PlayStation
02 June 2001 - LWN.net Penguin Gallery update
LWN.net Daily news says after far too much delay, the LWN.net Penguin
Gallery has been updated by Dennis Tenney. There are now some 350
penguins on 13 pages; some of them are quite imaginative. Have a look
to see what Tux has been up to...
02 June 2001 - The Tribulations Of Being A Wandering Penguin
LWN.net Daily news has a humor post that says "Dr. Fun tells us that it
can be tough to be a penguin on the move...." Follow the link for a cute
cartoon.
Top of Page
Miscellaneous
29 June 2001 - Usenet BBS Co-creator Dies At Age 45
MSNBC Tech News has an article from Associated Press, that says in part,
Jim Ellis, who helped create the information-sharing electronic bulletin
boards that predated the World Wide Web, has died. Ellis was one of the
creators of Usenet, which linked computers and allowed people to share
information and reply to messages.
28 June 2001 - Hacker Gets What He Wants At Burger King Web Site
Hackers ZDNet reporter Wendy McAuliffe, reports the UK Web site of the
fast food chain Burger King was defaced on Tuesday for the third time
this year, this time by a hacker operating under the nickname of MrAgent.
27 June 2001 - CERT: Verification of Downloaded Software
The CERT Coordination Center published a reminder in their IN-2001-06
report that says "when downloading software from online repositories, it
is important to consider the possibility that the site has been
compromised. We strongly encourage users to verify cryptographic
signatures (e.g. PGP) of all downloaded software. Cryptographic
signatures provide reasonable assurance that the files have not
been modified either on the server or in transit. They also allow
for verification of the signer's identity."
27 June 2001 - Put more content in digitally signed e-mails
Digitally signed e-mails could be surreptitiously forwarded to another
person. The problem could allow the recipient of a signed and encrypted
email to forward the message to a third party, while making it seem as if
the original sender mailed the message directly. But others point out,
that putting more context in messages easily solves the problem. Putting
"Dear Bob" in the previous message, for example, would prevent Bob from
surreptitiously forwarding the message to a third party.
27 June 2001 - @stake Security News Frontpage
This just in from Hacker News Networks
* Virus Protection Coming To PDF Files
Long used as a platform-independent means of sharing documents, Adobe's
PDF files will soon have increased virus protection measures.
* Alldas.de Defacement Archive
Alldas.de the defacement site, similar to Attrition.org, was defaced
yesterday.
26 June 2001 - NAI Reports: Anticristo HOAX
Network Associates has released a report that says, this email message
is just a HOAX, currently we know of no other message that the user
will receive about the HOAs the initial email states. AVERT has not
received any report of a user's hard drive being erased for opening
the email.
26 June 2001 - Top Hackers News Specials From ZDNet
Some of the interestig virus/security headlines:
* Feds warn of new worm threat
A new malicious program - dubbed 'Leaves' - infects previously
compromised PCs and seemingly prepares the machines to launch a DoS
attack
* Security pros set up defence front
A group of security, software vendors lays out a vulnerability reporting
map to fix security holes and vulnerabilities before the damage spreads
* E-minister urged to push IT security education
Experts are keen to persuade Douglas Alexander to educate companies about
the necessity for tight security
* Security held back by lack of discussion
Communication breakdown means security gets neglected, despite increasing
interest from the boardroom
* Confidential reports to aid cybercrime crackdown
With companies failing to report IT attacks, no statistics exist to prove
the extent of the cybercrime problem
* Consumers Association leaks credit card details
The consumer group is shutting its TaxCalc site after a glitch leaked the
credit card information of around 2,000 customers
26 June 2001 - O! Canada Gets Fast Interactive Entertainment Hubs
Wired looks at the Rogers Cable plan for Linux-based cable systems.
It's a geek's dream come true - a cheap and convenient way to meld all
communications, computing and assorted other electronic gear into one
high-speed network.
26 June 2001 - Humour: Software Licenses As Computer Games
LWN Daily says Ted Clark tells us: "Here's a page I put up that explains
how software licenses compare to computer games for people who are having
trouble grasping this concept" Have a look, it's good for a smile.
21 June 2001 - Timothy McVeigh Execution Virus
VMyths.com says it appears a hacker lured people to download the
well-known Sub7 Trojan with the promise of a "bootleg video" of the
McVeigh execution. We can only provide sketchy details at this point
because only the media seems to know about this "virus." The Oklahoma
City bombing, Timothy McVeigh's execution, and a computer virus -- how
could reporters resist? The FBI publicly claims no bootleg video exists
of the McVeigh execution. Vmyths.com accepts the claim at face value.
08 June 2001 - CNEWS Canada Technews Hompage
Canoe.ca latest offerings that caught my attention:
* Plug pulled on cell phone site
OTTAWA (CP) -- An Ottawa-based Web site that was streaming live
cellphone audio onto the Net from a radio that scanned cellphone
frequencies has been shut down. Mike Smith, the driving force behind
the Ottawa-based Web site, was pulled over Thursday by his Internet
service provider after three days of scanning.
Previous Stories: Site puts private cell calls on Web
Phone offers military encryption
Many phone users have made encrypted voice conversations over their
computers since 1996, using a free communications program called
PGPfone developed by PGP programmer Philip R. Zimmerman
* BMW movies a hit on info superhighway
Clive Owen is cruising the Web in style these days as the coolest of
hired drivers in a series of short Internet films bankrolled by luxury
car maker BMW.
07 June 2001 - F-Secure Reports: Gamma2 HOAX
F-Secure asks that you please ignore these messages and don't spread them
any further. This hoax was circulated in June 2001. The hoax message was
made to look like a genuine F-Secure Corporation press release. This
press release is a fake and the message is a hoax. "Gamma2.exe" virus
does not exist.
07 June 2001 - PGP Marked 10th Anniversary On 5th of June 2001
Phil Zimmermann starts off with "It was on this day in 1991 that I sent
the first release of PGP to a couple of my friends for uploading to the
Internet." He goes on to mention that it was ported to other platforms,
including Commodore Amiga.
* Click here for a PGP signed version of this announcement
* Click here for Philip Zimmerman's Homepage [www.philzimmermann.com]
07 June 2001 - EU Proposes Plan To Secure Internet
Hackers ZDNet's says education, better warning systems, research and
encryption standards are all part of the plan to crack down on cybercrime
07 June 2001 - Hotmail, Yahoo! Guard Against Virus-Spreading Flaw
Infowar.Com News says Hotmail and Yahoo! have patched their web-based
email services to guard against becoming vectors for the spread of
mass-mailing viruses. Matt Parcens, the white-hat hacker who discovered
the problem, has updated his Web site to say that both Hotmail and
Yahoo! have now updated their services to guard against the Javascript
exploits the vulnerability allows.
07 June 2001 - GnuPG 1.0.6 Released
Pretty Good Privacy International, (PGPi) says version 1.0.6 of the
GNU Privacy Guard is now available for download. This is a maintenance
release that fixes a number of bugs. The GNU Privacy Guard (GnuPG) is a
free, GPLed RFC2440 (OpenPGP) implementation. It is being developed by
Werner Koch in Germany. Currently it is only available as a command line
program (Unix, Windows and DOS), but a GUI version is planned.
05 June 2001 - Hackers ZDNet Virus & Hacking News Homepage
Some of the interesting articles:
* Worm sneaks ride with 1 June hoax
Just when you thought it was safe to ignore the sulfnbk.exe hoax email,
another one surfaces; this one carrying a dangerous payload
* No remedy in sight for denial of service attacks
Following the recent DoS attack on the US-based Computer Emergency
Response Team (CERT), experts warn that there is no defence -- and the
problem can only get worse
* Worm holes found in Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail
A security hole in Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail could fool users into letting
a worm run rife with their address books
* Word flaw revealed
Users of Microsoft Word are urged to make regular use of an anti-virus
patch
02 June 2001 - Mad Cow May Be Incubating In Canada
National Post Online TechNews reports that the fatal brain-wasting
disorder commonly known as mad cow disease could be silently incubating
among cattle and unsuspecting humans in this country, according to a
report prepared for Health Canada. The internal "risk assessment" report,
obtained by the Ottawa Citizen through the Access to Information Act,
concludes that there is not enough known about the disease to assure
Canadians that there is no risk of contracting it.
* VHT-Canada Commment: not good news, especially when Amiga.info is
planning the Ottawa Amiga Show in Ontario, Canada.
02 June 2001 - Enter Runix: Linux for the PlayStation (ZDNet)
LWN.net Daily news says Runix, which is coming from a Czech company, is
set to be released under the GPL in order "to make the PlayStation2 a low
cost PC," according to this ZDNet story.
* MSNBC Runix Story: Linux for the PlayStation
02 June 2001 - Kaspersky(TM) Latest Breaking Antivirus News
Kaspersky Lab has a couple of interesting Press Releases:
* Joint project provides MAIL.RU r-mail service
Kaspersky Lab, and the Russian Internet holding Port.ru announce the
start of a joint project to provide users of the popular public e-mail
service MAIL.RU with free anti-virus correspondence scanning.
* New Line of Kaspersky Anti-Virus Products is Available
Kaspersky Lab announces the launching of a new line of Kaspersky
Anti-Virus products available in their online store. All financial
transactions are conducted via the world suppliers of e-commerce
service, "Digital River" and "Element5".
02 June 2001 - Layoffs Lead To Revenge Hacking
Story at USATODAY.com, says that When someone cracked Slip.net's computer
system, altered customer accounts and deleted important databases, the
Internet service provider didn't need to look far to find the attacker.
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