Microsoft has warned of vulnerabilities in its Exchange 2000 server software and Telnet remote-access service that could open the doors to malicious hackers.
The Exchange bug could allow hackers to view or alter the server's system registry, which lists crucial information such as the exact operating system version and which applications are installed. The Telnet hole could allow hackers to launch a denial-of-service attack or execute code on the target system. Both advisories were released late last week. Microsoft recently launched a security initiative unprecedented in the company's history, which begins this month with a top-down review of the code of key products to root out underlying flaws. The appearance of these two new flaws emphasises the difficulty of the task the company faces. Many security experts accuse Microsoft of adhering to lax security standards until now.
|