Mon, Dec 24 2007 13:23 Don

HP patches 'bricking' bug in software update service

Hewlett-Packard Co. has fixed flaws in a patch-management program bundled with its computers, printers and other hardware that could be used by hackers to "brick" HP or Compaq PCs.

In an alert sent to customers who subscribe to its security warning service, HP said users should run Software Update to patch the flaws disclosed last week by a Polish researcher known only by his alias, "porkythepig." A pair of bugs in the update service's ActiveX control can be used to execute remote code or gain additional access rights, porkythepig said then. He also posted proof-of-concept exploit code that showed how to use one of the vulnerabilities to overwrite and corrupt crucial Windows' system files, an attack that would leave any affected PC unbootable.

Full Story at computerworld.com 

 

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