The Dept of Homeland Security is urging Windows users to apply a patch to protect themselves from possible worm attacks. “Attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in operating systems routinely occur within 24 hours of the release of a security patch” said a statment from the Department.
There is a flaw in the Server Service function of Windows which affects all versions of the operating system after Windows 2000. A buffer overrun could open up a remote code execution risk that could result in your system being taken over by an attacker. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Unpatched systems run a serious risk of being infected by a worm attack. The US-CERT recommends that users make sure their antivirus software is installed and updated, and that they are using a firewall. Additionally, it recommends you don’t open e-mails and attachments from unknown sources.
Download the Microsoft Security Bulletin MS06-040 to patch your computer immediately.
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