Industry News Home More stories like this... RSS Feed

Microsoft issues 'critical' patch to prevent worm attack

Microsoft has rushed to fix an online security vulnerability which the company says is being used by hackers to expose users to online threats.

The computer giant says the said flaw could be eventually exploited to launch a widespread worm attack, hence the decision to issue the out of routine patch.

"This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in the Server service. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if an affected system received a specially crafted RPC request," announced the company in a bulletin.

"It is possible that this vulnerability could be used in the crafting of a wormable exploit. If successfully exploited, an attacker could then install programs or view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights."

Microsoft said the security update was critical for all versions of Microsoft Windows and all supported editions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

The firm routinely issues its patches on the second Tuesday of every month, a day that is now widely referred to as Patch Tuesday.

PC Tools AntiVirus removes viruses from your PC and ensures that you are safe from further infections. Visit www.pctools.com to upgrade your protection