Viruses/Worms News

Microsoft 'targeting' Tuesday for ActiveX fix

Friday, July 10, 2009

Microsoft plans to issue a total of six security bulletins in the monthly security update for Tuesday, July 14, including three critical flaws in Windows. The company did not say if the update will fix two critical Windows flaws that have been exploited in the wild.

The company said software engineers have been working "around the clock" to produce an update for the vulnerability in the Microsoft Video ActiveX Control, about which the company notified users on Monday. Microsoft is "targeting" a patch for that flaw for Tuesday.

Microsoft's Mike Reavey defended the company's decision not to inform users earlier of the ActiveX flaw, which IBM researchers warned the company about in spring 2008.

In a blog post yesterday at the Microsoft Security Response Center, Reavey said an exploit for the flaw was not discovered until recently, well after the company began its investigation.

"For any issue that is reported to us, we strive to address not only the vulnerabilities brought to us but also to find any similar or related issues to ensure the update provides as comprehensive security as possible," Reavey said.

Microsoft is also working on a fix for a flaw in DirectX - the Windows subsystem used for streaming video - which hackers have exploited using malicious QuickTime video files.ADNFCR-1765-ID-19259850-ADNFCR

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