metty's blog

Developers? Developers!

January 2005 - Posts

Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (you can’t clean a compromised system!)

Microsoft have released a tool to remove well known software worms affecting their platform; they call it the "Malicious Software Removal Tool". The tool runs on Windows 2000, XP and 2003 only (Windows Me, which you would think to be a widespread consumer OS run by people most in need of any such software, is obviously out of date).

New releases of the "Removal Tool" are planned on a monthly basis for the second Tuesday of each month. What an interesting concept. Obviously, we will see the next generation of Windows worms on the second Tuesday of each month - guaranteeing them at least 30 days of worldwide attacks with the users interested in this offering wrongly feeling safe.

Wrongly feeling safe is worse than being at risk!

Jesper M. Johansson

Microsoft's current Security Program Manager, Jesper M. Johansson, seems to look at things slightly differently, as he reveals in a Microsoft TechNet article - and this guy is actually right here, without any doubt: "You can’t clean a compromised system by using some “vulnerability remover.”"

 

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