December 14, 2001

2:45 PM

"MS releases mother of all IE security patches"Per the article: Microsoft has released a cumulative patch for Internet Explorer which the firm says is a "critical" security precaution against crackers which should be applied "immediately". Time to update/upgrade boys and girls. :)
posted by crankydoodle (11 comments total)

I noticed last night that it wasn't available on the windows update site for my windows XP install. If it is so critical and crucial that people get it, why isn't MS making it easier to get?
posted by mathowie at 2:54 PM on December 14, 2001

these direct links from slashdot:

for IE6:http://download.microsoft.com/download/IE60/secpac 23/6/W98NT42KMeXP/EN-US/q313675.exe

for IE5.5:http://download.microsoft.com/download/ie55sp2/sec pac23/5.5_SP2/WIN98Me/EN-US/q313675.exe

posted by bobo123 at 3:46 PM on December 14, 2001

Hmmm. . . the install file didn't recognize that I do, in fact, have IE6 installed. Weird.
posted by UrbanFigaro at 3:48 PM on December 14, 2001

That's a start, now where's the mother of all IIS patches? My firewall catches 50 IIS hack attempts a day from unpatched machines on AT&T's cable network.

MS should write it and ISPs should be mass mailing it.
posted by skallas at 4:18 PM on December 14, 2001

The mother of all IIS patches.
</sarcasm> sorry, won't happen again.
posted by Vetinari at 5:49 PM on December 14, 2001

Any bets that a fresh download of IE 6 download doesn't include these fixes?
posted by DBAPaul at 6:13 PM on December 14, 2001

Err, you know, ignore that second "download"
posted by DBAPaul at 6:14 PM on December 14, 2001

You're right, DBAPaul. I downloaded and reinstalled IE6 and it didn't have it. Now that I've reinstalled it, it has reasserted its Default Browser (SICH HEIL!!!) status. Fear and disgust washed over me as all the little Netscape icons on my desktop suddenly appeared as little pastel e's. Ugh. Sadly, many websites (this one included) are best viewed with IE. Damn the electric fence. Damn the electric fence.
posted by UrbanFigaro at 6:35 PM on December 14, 2001

It's not up on Corporate Windowsupdate, either (where you can download patch files conveniently for redistribution, e.g. as on a network). Sometimes it takes a day or two for stuff to show up there. They have to write an additional system installation check for the ActiveX control.
posted by dhartung at 6:36 PM on December 14, 2001

(chuckle)
posted by jragon at 6:48 PM on December 14, 2001

There's a two-week lag for something to get to the windowsupdate page according to microsoft. Naww, I'm not looking it up. They may have changed their policy since I read that, but it seems about right.
posted by skallas at 7:25 PM on December 14, 2001