GeneralMessenger Hole Forces Update

Microsoft is forcing Messenger users to upgrade in order to patch a security vulnerability.

Recommend this story? Yes No Please Wait... Microsoft Corp. is forcing Windows Live and MSN Messenger users to upgrade to the newest version due to a security update included in that release, according to a posting on a Microsoft blog.Anyone using 6.2, 7.0 and 7.5 versions of MSN Messenger or Windows Live Messenger 8.0 will be guided through the upgrade process to Windows Live Messenger 8.1 when they try to log in to their chat client, according to a blog posting by a security product manager at Microsoft calling himself "Anand." This will replace the option upgrade notice that users have been given when using those versions of the product since January, he wrote."Some of you might feel this inconvenient, but in order to protect you and protect the health of the network we have chosen to take this step," the blog entry said.The Messenger vulnerability, which let hackers embed malicious code in Web chat invitations to users, was disclosed in August. It affected MSN Messenger versions 6.2, 7.0 and 7.5, as well as Windows Live Messenger 8.0. Microsoft changed the name of its popular chat client from MSN to Windows Live with version 8.0.Microsoft patched the problem in older versions of Messenger as part of its monthly round of patches on Tuesday, which means users of affected versions of Messenger theoretically could install the patch and protect themselves. In its security bulletin for the patch... [ Read more on www.pcworld.com ]

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