[clug] Latest worm

[Darren Freeman]

On Tue, 2003-08-12 at 20:40, Sam Couter wrote:
> Darren Freeman <daz111 at rsphysse.anu.edu.au> wrote:
> > And take the time out to be glad that there are so many people running
> > Windows, after all now we get to mop up the tears.
> 
> Unfortunately, very few people will see this as a serious software
> quality problem. They'll put the blame on the shoulders of the worm
> writer (where a fair bit of blame belongs, I admit), accept that
> computers just don't always work right, and continue to use Windows.

apparently the file MSBLAST.EXE has a few messages lamenting the Windows
security...

probably the worm writer did us all a favour as people will be that more
inclined to listen when we try to install another OS for them. Just
today I installed Mandrake 9.1 on a colleague's computer, admittedly
over RedHat 7.3 but still.. her XP install got infected and kept
shutting down within a minute of being run, something about a broken RPC
port.. wonder what might cause that ;)

> One thing I have to thank Microsoft for is that nobody expects software
> to work right anymore, so my job as a programmer is much easier. I can
> be as sloppy as I like and the users slurp it up and put up with it.

As a user who won't put up with it, thanks for nothin' ;)

> > And why oh why is port 135 open? Anyone know of a sane reason for there
> > to be a clear path from the outside world all the way in here?
> 
> Because it's easier to leave things as they are than to block the port?
> Because Windows users expect to be able to browse "Network Neighborhood"
> and find every share on the 'net?
> Because some organisations have geographically separate
> divisions/branches which share files, and don't know (or care) how to
> set up a VPN?

I did say *sane* ;) Morons deserve their fate. Unless it's to become
CEOs.

Darren