Windows critical flaw: This security bug is under attack right now, says Microsoft

[RV_]

I know, MS already fixed it yesterday, but it served to get the attention needed for folks that are not patching their Windows machine. This is another Patch Tuesday that needs to be done ASAP because the vulnerabilities it fixes are being attacked now.

Excerpt:

"Observed attacks have started with a malicious Word document, which when opened downloads an exploit written in VBScript that's hosted on a webpage, according to malware analysts at Kaspersky Lab.

The analysts are also confident the exploit they found is the same as the Double Kill attack Qihoo 360 Core Security reported.

While the zero-day attacks are likely to be the work of state-sponsored attackers, Kaspersky Lab predicts it will become popular with cybercriminals as part of an exploit kit's arsenal for compromising Windows PCs in web-based attacks.

That's because the technique allows an attacker to force IE to load and exploit the flaw on an unpatched machine even if victims have set Chrome or Firefox as the default browser."

All the technical details are in the full article here with related links here:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-critical-flaw-this-security-bug-is-under-attack-right-now-says-microsoft/?ftag=TREc64629f&bhid=19724681974700635514865380622813

Safe computing!

[docj]

Thanks for the info.  It appears that there is also an update to Microsoft Office that is concurrent with the Windows update.  We have Office 365 and both our machines were updated.

[RV_]

Yep Joel, They actually updated my machines the day before for Outlook in Office 2010, so it must be a universal flaw there. I only have Office Home and Business 2010 and had a lot of office patches on update day too.

Right now folks need to update regardless because of the vulnerabilities named above.

Joel, I am impressed with how fast MS has become in dealing with new vulnerabilities.

[Ronbo]

They should have written good code to begin with. They do nothing but patch and it keeps getting larger. They don’t care because it uses our internet we pay for and uses up our hard drive. When it is full we need to decide what to take off. I remember the Commodore computers and when I wrote a program, it had to be perfect or it wouldn’t run. We don’t have standards any longer.

[markandkim]

Still putting up with microsoft issues?

Y'all seemed to be consumed by it.

You guys will never learn.

[Biker56]

Yep!! Get a trouble free Mac.

 Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac

Get help with video issues on external displays connected to your Mac

Fix Mac Mail Problems With These Troubleshooting Guides

☹️

[Pat & Pete]

1 hour ago, Biker56 said:

Yep!! Get a trouble free Mac.

 Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac

Get help with video issues on external displays connected to your Mac

Fix Mac Mail Problems With These Troubleshooting Guides

☹️

LOL ...

A trouble free Mac ??? 

Then we'll never need safe mode or external displays or have to fix mac mail problems ? 

Biker56 told a good joke . LOL

[Ronbo]

Some of us have devices that will only work with windows.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

A pencil has so security flaws, but then again its functionality is rather limited.

[markandkim]

Mac, what is that?

[markandkim]

2 hours ago, Ronbo said:

Some of us have devices that will only work with windows.

You need new devices.

[Bill Joyce]

10 minutes ago, markandkim said:

You need new devices.

Not every device or application works with Linux.  I know, I run Linux when I can but mostly run Windows.  I don't own a Mac, but have helped others fix issues with them.

[Ronbo]

2 hours ago, markandkim said:

You need new devices.

They aren’t available to work with anything except windows or I would buy a new computer

[RV_]

Ronbo wrote:

"They should have written good code to begin with. They do nothing but patch and it keeps getting larger. They don’t care because it uses our internet we pay for and uses up our hard drive. When it is full we need to decide what to take off. I remember the Commodore computers and when I wrote a program, it had to be perfect or it wouldn’t run. We don’t have standards any longer."

You mac owners must think we can't do a simple search. The fact is that Apple computers and software had more updates than Windows computers and software had!

Just go here folks and scroll doooooowwwwnnnnn:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222

 

8 hours ago, markandkim said:

Still putting up with microsoft issues?

Y'all seemed to be consumed by it.

You guys will never learn.

[Ronbo]

Derek, I am a windows pc user, Android cell phone and iPad Pro tablet user.  Each are because that is what I want for that device for my own reasons. I use the iPad Pro to manipulate my pictures. I also have the windows version of the same program. I have android because I want to be in charge. I am just frustrated because we spend so much money for our devices and have to continue to spend more money, some on a weekly basis, to keep them up to date and to fix flaws in the firmware. At least with my pc I can do my own repairs and increase my memory on my own.

[RV_]

Ron sorry I misread that after the troll in a Windows thread about Linux. My mistake. You were talking but did not address to whom. Sorry bud.

You are totally right about the advantages of being able to work on our own systems. I bought the Dell Venue 11 Pro tablet because it had all my requirements, USB 3 full size, Micro USB, mini HDMI, etc, full 1080p HD, and Windows Pro. It also has a user removable back cover, that is very easy to remove and replace as it is a flexible material. My Surface Pro 3 and 4 tablets have to be returned to the factory as I am not taking a cemented case apart. I have done one laptop screen replacement, one phone glass replacement with a friend, and seen a current tech friend with a tablet in pieces. MY hads are no longer steady enough and my patience for taking things apart that are glued at an end. I will swap out hard drives and RAM, even CPUs if the motherboard supports it on ,my Windows boxes. Lynn's Lenovo all in one has a lower back cover half that just pops off and I accessed her hard drive to replace with a 500 GB Samsung EVO SSD, and upped her RAM. MY big Dell is a bit more complicated with more screws and the stand removal needed before starting on the back cover. OI have been in and out of the 27" AIO Dell once but not again. It is fine, but it is also 4 years old which means five years old since designed. I am liki ng the HP with 27" and the HDMI in and out like mine, and also quad HD or so. I really want a 4k AIO 27" but quad HD seems the most for now. For those who wonder the resolutions of each here they are. One thing though. IN TVs and computers in order to use 4k you need a 4k source, a 4k HDMI 2.2 cable, and it needs HDCP 2.2. ( https://suesselectronics.com/blog/hdcp-2-2/)

Standard Definition (SD) 720 × 480

qHD 960 x 540 pixels

HD 1280 × 720

Full HD 1920 × 1080

2K 2048 × 1152

Quad HD (QHD) 2560 × 1440

Quad Full HD (QFHD)/Ultra HD 3840 × 2160

4K 4096×2160

For example we needed to get the second generation Fire TV with 4k hardware in it, and then get the right cables, and on top of that had to buy a new TV with 4k HDMI input hardware and onboard software. Luckily I bought the 2015 Vizio 65" which has one 4k input. THe new 2018 model have all 4k HDMI Inputs and we are getting a P-65 Vizio this year when they are available. They all have TV tuners again, and the Professional series is amazing.

 

I digressed because resolution is super important to me on smaller devices like my tablets and phones. I even got a Vizio 4k D series for the bedroom TV and it blows the old 1080 P we had away.

 

See us Windows folks don't have to be techs, but we can swap out parts and software easily with no requirement to get it from Microsoft.

 

Ron, I wasn't dissing your Apple tablet. I do get a lot of Apple folks who can't really grasp that our tablets are the same as if an iPad and a Mac ran the exact same programs and Apps interchangeably. When I tell them I loaded Office 2010 to my tablets I'm sure many thought it was a crippled App version but it was from the same file as my desktops used to load Office, as an example.

 

That does not make it better just my preference. And if an Apple person posted a new vulnerability for Windows I hadn't seen yet I would thank them , not start getting cranky. For those that do that is their problem, not mine.

[Pieere]

21 hours ago, Bill Joyce said:

Not every device or application works with Linux.  I know, I run Linux when I can but mostly run Windows.  I don't own a Mac, but have helped others fix issues with them.

RV/Derek, I believe you were being very Rude cause Bill mentioned Linux! You could be more considerate instead of classifying him as a Troll! Just Saying!

[Bill Joyce]

1 hour ago, Pieere said:

RV/Derek, I believe you were being very Rude cause Bill mentioned Linux! You could be more considerate instead of classifying him as a Troll! Just Saying!

Don't worry about Derek and my relationship.   We actually know each other and met up last month..  Sometimes what looks like an insult is just some kidding about something in the past.

[AlleyOop]

I just ran across this thread and "had" to join it for a few comments. 

Derek, I can tell you and others that are fairly well conversant with PCs that I have found out recently anyone familiar with MS systems can become just as conversant with Mac stuff in short order.

The difference is not much more than visual as far as I am concerned. The front glass is held on with magnets. The monitor behind it is held on with 4 screws and you have 4 cables to unplug and you are inside. There are many multiple ways/videos to walk you step by step to get anything done inside that you might want done. When I had the "Mac Guy" put my EVO 500gb in several weeks ago I informed him he needed to format the SSD but he "informed" me it did not need to be done. Of course, after he left and it would not install, I formatted the SSD and it went just fine. He also did not fasten the SSD down, just left it hanging with the comment that the Imac is a desktop so it would not be moved around enough to cause trouble. He might even be correct about not moving it around but I "will" secure it when I install the SSHD hybrid next week. He also gave me an app to control the fans. I discovered later that the heat sensor on the drive could/should have been transferred to the new drive and would, in fact, work much better than the Mickey Mouse fan app.

I get updates to the OS every other Tuesday give or take a day or two with an occasional update in between.

Anyone curious about what can be done with Mac hardware might take a look at macsales.com or OWC(other world computing). 

I'm not going to address the file system just to keep this short but it is just as easy as MS file management and any questions are answered on the net with very little time spent looking around. "They" Mac folk over the years have made us believe their equipment is very intellectual and only the most intelligent people should try to work with it.(lol) Not so.

All the above it true even my feeble attempt at humor.

[RV_]

Pieere,

Bill didn't even get mad when I copied his trademark Hawaiian shirts as my trademark too since I am not on the road and we only get a face to face when he is cruising by. 

Pieere, I think you fell for someone else in the thread. And this answer is not in any way trying to be rude to you.

Troll:

"In Internet slang, a troll (/troʊl, trɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting quarrels or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory,^[1]extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response^[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal, on-topic discussion,^[3] often for the troll's amusement.

This sense of both the noun and the verb "troll" is associated with Internet discourse, but also has been used more widely. Media attention in recent years has equated trolling with online harassment. For example, the mass media have used "troll" to mean "a person who defaces Internet tribute sites with the aim of causing grief to families".^[4][5] In addition, depictions of trolling have been included in popular fictional works, such as the HBO television program The Newsroom, in which a main character encounters harassing persons online and tries to infiltrate their circles by posting negative sexual comments."

Source with much more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

Pieere, if walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck, it must be a duck. The best rule is to never feed the trolls online.

One thing about me is that I stick with my REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) training as a counselor back in the late 70s early 80s. Today they call Albert Ellis' training REBT. and subscribe to walking the walk myself in not believing any of the 12 irrational beliefs myself. They are the buttons trolls and manipulators push that cannot be pushed on folks who do not believe irrational beliefs. The 12 irrational beliefs are beliefs that some believe but just aren't rarional:

http://rebtnetwork.org/library/ideas.html

 

 

 

 

[RV_]

Ron, Alley Oop,

I'll have to take your word for it because the last App,le Mac I used was when they were expensive back in 1986/7 when I was active duty and trying to hurry up and finish a BS degree before my 35th birthday. I was going nights to SIU's Industrial Technology degree. They had Apple Macs, the first models, and they stymied me. See Microsoft would not adopt the Xerox Parc desktop and develop it for Windows computers popularly until Windows 95. So when I was forced to use the Mac in 86 I was a master at DOS and was stymied by the mouse! I learned and then passed, thanks to a great professor who knew all the military guys were using MSDOS systems at work on base.  MS didn't adopt a desktop mouse driven GUI until the early 90s with Windows for Work Groups 3.1 as the first stable system. Today there is less difference with both using a similar GUI and identical hardware today as you say.  Especially since 2005 when Jobs dropped the long in the tooth Power PC chipset and adopted the x86 Intel chipsets. I don't do Apple only because I don't want to buy all new software as well as hardware, and I prefer an open to all software developers and hardware manufacturers, non walled garden.  I won't do without my main All In One Desktop's 27" touch screen I love my analog calculator on my touch screen. I may be buying an HP for my next system because it has all this one does except the Thunderbolt connection the Dell unit has. I just don't need or want to spend that much for the Thunderbolt exorbitant cost of the drives and devices. Most Apple folk aren't buying thunderbolt drives either save professionals that need the speed. But aside from that I don't see any more learning curve for me in using OSX and the hardware. 

When I first tried out Raspberry Debian on my Raspberry Pi first wave system. I think most folks would be surprised at how similar the Apple systems are, especially now that they are x86 systems. I feel the same when I am using the Amazon Fire Tablets which are EZPZ too but I have to think about the steps that are just autopilot on Windows. Jack has gone mostly Google/Android for all his uses, and I am seeing it now with our Android Phones. Don't get me wrong, I love my full Windows OS on my Surface Pro and Dell Venue 11 Pro Tablets. The Android variant of Amazon Fire's OS also has a lot of the security by obscurity that other OS' had at various times. So the Fire tablets are under much less attack of any than iOS or Android phones and tablets and Windows tablets. But they also have fewer Apps. I just like the $149.99/as low as $99.99 - $119.99 on sale, amazing build quality and the lightest of all the 10" class of tablets. And they are very resistant to breakage, and are finally back to full HD 1080p in only the 10" HD 10" Tablet with 32GB or storage and a Micro SD card slot that can handle the latest 256GB  micro SD cards.

There are no bad or evil brands or manufacturers of tech toys and computers/cell phones today. I am glad there is competition that keeps all tech companies advancing as fast as they can, and like the Fire Tablets, setting the prices lower and lower, with ever increasing build quality. So since we are Prime members anyway, for buying and Videos, we took to the Fire TVs and the Fire Tablets too. Free photo storage and music video downloads and other benefits, etc. make the Fire Tablets a great tablet choice too.

And Apple innovations make for great cheap similar Android smart watches. Here is my latest one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/392026338287

$13.99!

I have another one that looks the same but no camera, and two regular Android watches that I can put in micro SD Cards and take videos and pictures, and make and take calls via Bluetooth to my phone in my pocket and keep it private by my ear. All of them can also support sim cards and act as a phone themselves. The touch screens are remarkable. Now I am just playing across platforms and there are some astounding buys today, for little or nothing.

They're all just preferences and budget. I won't buy any more expensive watches like my Martian Voice series that were on sale for $79.95 each. I still prefer a Casio G Shock for all but formal affairs and I have my good Bulova for that or the above Smart watch.

I like the Apple, Linux that needs an x86 Windows or Mac box to run on, Windows, iOS, Android, smart phones etc. It is a great time to be alive and a Techie type geek.

I enjoy your posts too Ron. And it is not a hard thing to learn as today even three year olds are using them from all the OS' mentioned. Kind of takes the king of the hill ego aspect out of it nowadays. My grandson is just 2 years old and has his iPad and can use it!! Amazing.

[Pieere]

On 5/12/2018 at 9:53 AM, Bill Joyce said:

Don't worry about Derek and my relationship.   We actually know each other and met up last month..  Sometimes what looks like an insult is just some kidding about something in the past.

OK, Recognized you from RV Dreams forum! 

[Pieere]

RV: No Problem, just know Bill is one of the Good Guys and didn't realize you all knew each other! 

Carry On!

[AlleyOop]

Good post Derek. I don't know if you ever post anything that I disagree with. I probably should have added that the only thing missing as far as you being able to do with Apple systems is "want to". With that "want to", no doubt in my mind, you would be up to speed with Apple as well as PC. I think it's a little different mind set but no more difficult, just new.

I haven't bought much in the past nearly decade as I no longer have the "need". However, you do make life a little difficult for me as you talk about all these goodies. It makes my, mostly buried, "want" try to raise it's ugly head.(lol) I suspect it's just a matter of time until you post something that raises my "want" completely from the dead and I will have to spend some money to satisfy it.

I did buy the Fire HD 8 when it came out. Probably should have returned it but kept it too long trying to make it "reasonably" fast. I never accomplished that. I can't recall having a computer of any kind in recent times as slow as it was. I did do a lot of research and tried the fixes I ran across but none worked. I replaced it with a Samsung Galaxy S3 9.7" tablet and have not looked back. I am very pleased with the S3. 

In my case, it just boils down to lack of need for all these goodies I used to collect almost as soon as they came out. 

[RV_]

Ron,

I am getting more in that mode of not needing, but I'm dangerously close to not wanting. I treat tech like some folks here treat hunting and spend far less cash annually than my hunting friends do. I used to hunt so no bad judgement there, and I am a gun person so that;s no issue either. It is just a been there, done that for a few years, succeeded, and now have moved on to other things that fascinate. I have found that the "want to," as you put it so succinctly about changing OS', has diminished in my life. I discovered back before we started RVing that the real thrill was in waiting and saving for that new shiny thing or activity. Anticipation was the thrill, actually gaining possession, more and more, became anticlimax. It's not boredom, I tried to emote this observation in others in one of my collections of writings only for me.

"Boredom is wanting to do something, anything, as long as you don’t have to actually do something to do it."

 

I've never been bored. But always had the capacity to have anything I wanted, first buying the cast off affordables and building, restoring, renovating, then buying already done and now can afford literally anything within reason. Not a Learjet or yacht, as examples, which I have no use for. Most folks see the dream and not the upkeep. One man at 83 after ten years of caring for his wife with Alzheimer's, and putting his wife to rest, did the obvious only in hindsight.  

83 year old set free and alive!

It was a trip to the unknown, like pulling out in the giant RV for the first time excited and a bit apprehensive. 

I now watch a new innovation and watch it mature a bit and then buy the Chinese knockoff. Despite the terrible Chinese instructions even the 8 dollar U8 is fun but the DZ09 for a few bucks more as well as my new U6 have better screens and both sim card and micro SD card slots in the back. If the folks with iPhones really miss their headphone jack, and do not want wireless (expensive) headphone jacks, the 8 -10 dollar U8 will do the trick:

That Indian kid in the video ^^^ soldered in a headphone jack that frees the phone from being tethered to the headphones and allows the Bluetooth sound to go from the watch to the ears leaving the phone in his pocket or away from him. But here is a video that finally showed me how it worked.

 

See, I am going through the learning curves with three little smart phones and am having fun, despite them not costing $300 each but under thirty bucks for all three. Nice toys.