Microsoft brings Windows experience to the Mac!

[Laukev7]

http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/04/02/11/1919229.shtml?tid=109&tid=179&tid=185&tid=187&tid=190

The advantages of MS VirtualPC!

[ February 12, 2004: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]

[Xeen]

See this just prooves that there is no point in convincing Microsoft to move to Unix based Windows.  In fact, God help us if they do, because this just goes to show MS can fuck anything up when they get their hands on it.


Now watch Microsoft try to spin this into a "Macs aren't any safer than Windows" issue.

[Laukev7]

This is my favourite part:

 

quote: I just want to thank Apple for providing all those great innovative technologies that let us do what we love best: creating great applications

That's just a little bit more than I wanted to know.

[Kintaro]

Correction: Stealing Great Applications, adding a animated paperclip.

[WMD]

Seems like MS has a "vulnerability" for everything.  

[flap]

What does that have to do with viruses?

[Laukev7]

Actually, nothing at all. But it makes such a nice headline!

[Claris]

quote:Originally posted by X11: Refalms hands are sexy.:
Correction: Stealing Great Applications, adding a animated paperclip.

X11++

[Calum]

after actually reading this:
 

quote:"There is an MS security bulletin that reads, in part, 'A security vulnerability exists ... because of the method by which Virtual PC for Mac creates a temporary file when you run Virtual PC for Mac. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by inserting malicious code into the file which could cause the code to be run with system privileges. This could give the attacker complete control over the system.' Guess VirtualPC really brings the Windows experience to the Mac!" An update is available from the Microsoft site.

i am convinced that the bug is actually in virtualPC, and why microsoft are even concerning themselves with it is beyond me. by addressing the issue they are taking the blame for something that doesn't actually look like their fault. I don't think they support the running of windows on any platform other than x86, and i am sure microsoft should be saying that all versions running on the mac are illegal since they would break the windows EULA by running on more than one PC (since it's probably a copy of windows that the user has installed on an intel based machine already, lets face it who buys a new copy of windows, just to run it in an emulator on their mac?)

[WMD]

quote:Originally posted by Calum is NOT a moderator:
after actually reading this:
 
i am convinced that the bug is actually in virtualPC, and why microsoft are even concerning themselves with it is beyond me. by addressing the issue they are taking the blame for something that doesn't actually look like their fault. I don't think they support the running of windows on any platform other than x86, and i am sure microsoft should be saying that all versions running on the mac are illegal since they would break the windows EULA by running on more than one PC (since it's probably a copy of windows that the user has installed on an intel based machine already, lets face it who buys a new copy of windows, just to run it in an emulator on their mac?)

MS sells a native version of Virtual PC for Mac.

[Xeen]

quote:Originally posted by Calum is NOT a moderator:
after actually reading this:
 
i am convinced that the bug is actually in virtualPC, and why microsoft are even concerning themselves with it is beyond me. by addressing the issue they are taking the blame for something that doesn't actually look like their fault. I don't think they support the running of windows on any platform other than x86, and i am sure microsoft should be saying that all versions running on the mac are illegal since they would break the windows EULA by running on more than one PC (since it's probably a copy of windows that the user has installed on an intel based machine already, lets face it who buys a new copy of windows, just to run it in an emulator on their mac?)

VirtualPC used to be a program by Connectix that I believe was only for PCs. A year ago Microsoft bought it from them. They immediately released a new version which was pretty much the same thing but had Microsoft's branding on it, and took out support for Linux OSes. (You still can manually install Linux on it however. They just took out all the automatic support for it).

Then last fall Microsoft released a version of VirtualPC for the Mac, specifically intended to let Mac owners be able to use Windows on their box (they still must legally buy Windows though).

So if I'm right then Microsoft did all the work porting VirtualPC to the Mac. Which means they're responsible for the exploit. But what else is new?

[Stilly]

im pretty sure virtual pc was always a mac thing, it was them and realpc that would run windows apps.

[skyman8081]

quote:Originally posted by xeen:
See this just prooves that there is no point in convincing Microsoft to move to Unix based Windows.  In fact, God help us if they do, because this just goes to show MS can fuck anything up when they get their hands on it.


Now watch Microsoft try to spin this into a "Macs aren't any safer than Windows" issue.

They did make UNIX for a while

any poorly coded app can cause problems, it takes a select few (and an operating system that allows it) can crash a whole system or gain priveleges.

[greencube]

I have two questions:

1:
Does this vulnerability exist only when the OS in VPC has acsess to the internet connection?

2:
Is this flaw found in VPC only after Microsoft obtained it, or does the Connectix versions have it too?

I use Connectix Virtual PC 6 to run my old PC applications, and I bought my copy just before Microsoft obtained the product. Talk about luck!  

[hm_murdock]

1) Most likely, yes. Otherwise, how would the script kiddies connect to it?

2) It was probably there the whole time