[MikesWhatsNews] MWN #639

MikesWhatsNews, 27, 01, 2003
in today's issue #639
KartingRace v1.02
Outlook 2000 Add-in: Holiday Updates
MP3 Files May Contain Worms
Rise of Nations
Spyware Warning: C-Dilla in TurboTax
SQL worm slams the Net
CCC   LayoutFix
         Enabling AutoRun
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NOTE: Any time you see the "  ++ ",  it means there is more 
          of the article, or story, on the linked site. Mike
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There is a complete archive of past MikesWhatsNews newsletters 
available to members on the Yahoo page, it is searchable by word or
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KartingRace v1.02 FREE 

http://steinware.dk/downloads.php?title=KartingRace 
Win9x/2k/XP 
KartingRace is a fast paced gokart racing game, featuring detailed 3D
graphics. Imagine yourself 10 centimeters above ground, cornering the track
with a speed of no less than 90mph! The game offers two race-modes; practice
(just you and the track), race (you against 1-5 opponents). The game
supports keyboard, mouse, joystick and steeringwheel.
++
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Outlook 2000 Add-in: Holiday Updates
http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2000/OutlHol.aspx
Update your Microsoft Outlook 2000 calendar with holidays spanning 2003 to
2007.

Overview
The holidays list, included with the Microsoft Outlook 2000 calendar, will
expire at the end of 2002. 
This add-in updates the calendar with holidays spanning 2003 to 2007. 
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Be Careful -- MP3 Files May Contain Worms
http://www.winxpnews.com/rd/rd.cfm?id=030121SE-WiMP_Winamp 
Several weeks ago, we let you know about a problem with Windows Media Player
(WiMP) that could allow an attacker to take over your computer. Since then,
many of you have written to us about problems with your browsers opening up
unexpectedly when playing audio or video files. Our best advice is that you
play video files from trusted sources only and make sure your Antivirus and
spyware detection programs are up to date. It has been rumored that the
movie and music industries are putting poisoned files on file sharing sites.
Those poisoned files could damage your computer's file system, causing you
to lose all your data, so be very careful! 
From: http://www.winxpnews.com
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Rise of Nations
http://www.microsoft.com/games/riseofnations/
The Entire Span of Human History Is In Your Hands. 
This ground-breaking real-time strategy (RTS) game is set to hit store
shelves on April 22, so start planning your strategy for conquering the
world today.

Dominate 6,000 years of history from the Ancient Age to the Information Age.
Which forces will you deploy to lead your nation to global prominence?
Trade, espionage, diplomacy?war? Whichever path you choose, you?ll
experience the pulse pounding thrill and speed of real-time gaming combined
with the epic scope and depth of turn-based strategy games ? brought
together for the first time ever in Rise of Nations. 

Rise of Nations is a new historical real time strategy game from Big Huge
Games? Brian Reynolds, designer of PC game classics such as Civilization 2
and Alpha Centauri.
++

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Spyware Warning: C-Dilla in TurboTax
http://www.smithysanvil.com/topic_spyware.html   
A new Spyware product has hit the streets called C-Dilla. It is packaged
with Unreal Tournament 2003, TurboTax, and a host of other programs. C-Dilla
is installed on your system without your permission, and does not un-install
when the software originally installed first is removed. It remains in the
background monitoring your computer and reporting information back through
your internet connection.

While information is still coming in about C-Dilla, it has been reported
that C-Dilla once installed is a copy-prevention system. It makes CD copying
harder, disables your ability to burn CD's, logs all your attempted burns
and logs all your downloaded files. Word has it that it also halts your
IMAPI CDROM burning service. People have even gone as far as to state that
it is a blatent attempt by the music industry (RIAA and the MPAA) to try and
prevent the exchange of audio and video files, although this has not yet
been confirmed nor ever may be. 
++
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SQL worm slams the Net by John Leyden
Posted: 25/01/2003 at 16:17 GMT
http://212.100.234.54/content/56/29027.html

A worm, which takes advantage of a six-month-old vulnerability in SQL
Server, is having a significant effect on Internet performance this weekend.


The SQL Slammer Worm uses SQL Server Resolution service buffer overflow flaw
dating from last July to commandeer vulnerable servers. These serve as
drones which randomly scan for more vulnerable servers and fire out exploit
code. 

Although Slammer is not destructive to an infected host (like Code Red it
only exists in memory), it 
generates a damaging level of network traffic when it scans for additional
targets. The worm continuously sends 367 bytes of exploit and propagation
code across port 1434/UDP until the SQL Server process is shut down. Unlike
Nimda these attacks are not directed towards local sub-nets but spread
across the wider Internet. 
++
from; The Register
~~~~
Microsoft has released a web page about SQLSlammer.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/virus/alerts/slammer.asp

Microsoft Pach;
Title:      Elevation of Privilege in SQL Server Web Tasks (Q316333)
Released:   October 16, 2002
Revised:    January 26, 2003 (version 2.0)
Software:   Microsoft(r) SQL Server(tm) 7.0, SQL Server 2000, 
            Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) 1.0, and Microsoft Desktop 
            Engine (MSDE) 2000.
Impact:     Elevation of Privileges
Max Risk:   Critical 

Bulletin:   MS02-061

Microsoft encourages customers to review the Security Bulletin at: 
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS02-061.asp
++
~~~~~

Shavlik Technologies is offering free tools to detect missing SQL Server
security patches on computers and servers and guard against the SQL Slammer
worm which appeared late Friday night. HFNetChkLT and HFNetChk.exe are free
software tools that can be downloaded from http://www.shavlik.com. In
minutes, IT and security administrators can determine which machines on
their networks are missing critical SQL patches.
~~~
see also;
For more information on WORM_SQLP1434.A please visit our Web site at:
http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=3DWORM_SQLP
14
34.A

Sophos has posted more information about the worm at
http://www.sophos.com/link/slammer

For more information about the vulnerability that this
worm exploits, please see the following article:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/security/Content/2270.html

____________________________________________________________

Christies Computer Corner thanks to Christy;
<1stPicksoftware-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=subscribe>

LayoutFix 
http://www.softcomplete.com/
Freeware

Home row? What's that? Well, if you're a typing purist like
myself, it's the row of letters your fingers should return to
before you resume typing. This is fine in QWERTY mode, but what
happens when you forget you were typing in Dvorak? Or in another
language? AZERTY? QWERTZ? Don't throw your computer out the
window. Have this app on standby. With a couple of keystrokes,
your text can be reformatted as if you had been entering it
"correctly" all along. There's no place like home row... there's
no place like home row... I just had this horrible dream. Someone
broke into my house and stole all the "W" keys...

~~~~~~~

Enabling AutoRun
Windows  Me doesn't have the AutoRun feature (which enables your
CD-ROMs to launch automatically once you insert them in the
CD-ROM drive) because of an error in a registry value, if you'd
like to save some loading time, you can enable AutoRun by editing
the registry to fix the problematic value.  This will also work
for other Windows versions.

Open the registry by clicking the Start button, choosing the Run
command, and typing regedit in the Open text box. Navigate to the
following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current
Version\Policies\Explorer, and in the right pane, double-click on
the the NoDriveTypeAutoRun value. Its data should read FF 00 00
00. Delete those four numbers and enter 95 00 00 00, and then
click OK. You may need to restart Windows but the AutoRun feature
for your CD-ROM drive will now be enabled.


Remember:  Before making Any registry change either suggested by
us or anyone else, Backup your registry!  One wrong move in the
registry could render windows inoperable!   With a current backup
you can restore your registry to its previous condition before
you made the change.  Backing up is a simple procedure that takes
seconds and can save you hours of work later if you make a
mistake.


To backup the registry in win95/98/98se:
http://1stpick.org/pctips/registry.shtml#win9x

To backup the registry in winME:
http://1stpick.org/pctips/registry.shtml#winme

To backup the registry in win2K:
http://1stpick.org/pctips/registry.shtml#win2k

To backup the registry in winXP:
http://1stpick.org/pctips/registry.shtml#winxp

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Antivirus software is a good choice to scan your system for possible viruses, 
however no virus scanner is 100% effective as manufactures cannot keep up with 
the rapid change of viruses that happens daily.
Be sure to update yours regularly.
http://www.hackfix.org/software/antivirus.html
______________________________________________________________________
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***MfM*** indicates that I am adding my own information to a particular    
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You can read a sample of my newsletter on my web page http://www.mwn.ca
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