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09/19/2004 Archived Entry: "Windows XP SP2 alerts"

I guess Microsoft is determined to hold the title of World's Buggiest Software. It appears that the much-ballyhooed Windows XP Service Pack 2, when installed on systems that connect both to a local area network and directly to the Internet (e.g, via dial-up or ISDN connection), disables the firewall and enables file sharing over the Internet. Yes, that's right, all of your computer's files become accessible on the Internet. If you're using a hardware firewall you're probably safe from this exposure. Follow the link for instructions to fix this.

Also, an exploit is now circulating from the recent Microsoft JPEG Flaw which seemingly affects every Microsoft product since Windows 3.1. (Well, not all: I don't see Word 6 or Office 97 on the list.) Not all products have been patched yet, so follow the link for interim measures and to locate available patches.

brad