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back to article March Patch Tuesday leaves IE unpatched for Pwn2Own hackers

Microsoft – unlike its browser rivals – will not be patching Internet Explorer before the upcoming Pwn2Own hacking contest next week. A March Patch Tuesday pre-alert, published on Thursday, reveals that Redmond will be issuing three security bulletins next week, one of which affects a critical flaw in Windows and none of which …

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  1. The BigYin

    The Enterprise...

    ...is still using IE6 FFS.

    2 0
    1. Clockworkseer
      Reply Icon
      Coat

      Really?

      And here I thought it was LCARS?

      ...

      Mine's the one with the combadge on it.

      3 0
  2. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    A balanced view....

    ...all the other broswers are being patched before a competition.

    Is this the real reason? If so, it's the wrong reason to rush out patches.

    5 0
    1. pixl97
      Reply Icon

      Highly Critical Flaw - Balanced View?

      There is not balanced view here, The flaw Firefox patched was highly critical. It would have been patched contest or not. Microsoft has a bad habit of leaving your bare ass out on the internet for weeks if not months before fixing issues at times.

      3 4
      1. konstructa
        Reply Icon

        ehh?

        Microsoft has alot of other software to also deal with besides just a browser. All the patches are important but they all have to work with like all the rest of the computers and servers in the world. Its just numbers..

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        1. L1feless
          Reply Icon

          correct

          and is it for this reason why some many people are moving away from IE to alternative browsers. Ms has a ton of software but they cannot keep up with the vast bugs found in their software. This is why they are losing market share in many of their core products. Windows might be one of the few exceptions but likely not once you factor in consumer rather than strictly corporate.

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  3. Doug Glass
    Go

    <yawn>

    Business as usual.

    0 0
  4. doperative
    Linux

    Four browsers in the firing line ..

    > Four browsers – IE, Firefox, chrome and Apple Safari – are in the firing line in the Pwn2Own contest ..

    Will it mention which OS these bugs run on?

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    1. Tom 13
      Reply Icon

      Yes, they will. Last time Apple had a really bad day

      as they quickly went down when they opened to app issues. As I recall, none of the "strictly OS" systems fell, including Vista. I seem to recall Linux faring best after the apps were unleashed.

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  5. Padraic

    IIRC...

    Don't they have to use undisclosed hacks to win the Pwn2Own contest? Which makes it pointless to patch a bunch of known exploits right before the contest.

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  6. sudokudu

    all the rest of the computers and servers in the world"

    there are servers that run on windows ?

    0 0
  7. D. Suse
    Gates Horns

    Two reasons...

    Microsoft has at least 2 reasons not to patch IE before the PWN2OWN contest:

    1) So, after they are instantly PWNed, they can say "we could have released last-minute patches, too!", and spin things around so it looks like they are on even footing with the other browsers. Which they are not.

    2) Because quite frankly, they do not KNOW what to patch until the PWN2OWN hackers TELL them which of many security holes they have attacked. This is the very same approach they take with all their software products: just release them into the wild, and "see what happens" to those foolish enough to use them. Then patch a couple of the most obvious loose ends, and repeat until they go out of business.

    0 1
  8. Tigra 07
    IT Angle

    but...

    Was it a stupid decision or a brave one?

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