One SMS Text Could Cripple Messaging on Windows Phone

[Guest]

Does Android have any comparable exploits? No, of course not, it's based on the Linux kernel, it doesn't matter that Android phones rarely, if ever, receive updates.

I see that MS hired a PR firm to thumb down unfavorable comments.

 

[alyoshka]

So???? By the end of the day it's also going to be rectified...... That doesn't make it any the bad.

 

[alidan]

anyone willing to tell me how this bug works because i just cant get my head around it... apparently people thought i wanted to do it before, why i got -4 vote, but i'm interested in the how and why part.

 

[Vladislaus]

[citation][nom]ms_pr[/nom]Does Android have any comparable exploits? No, of course not, it's based on the Linux kernel, it doesn't matter that Android phones rarely, if ever, receive updates.I see that MS hired a PR firm to thumb down unfavorable comments.[/citation]
This problem is not related to the kernel. About Android bugs:

http/www.engadget.com/2010/12/31/android-still-has-horrible-text-messaging-bugs-thatll-get-you-f/

 

[Guest]

Vladislaus: This is totally related to the kernel, and the way that it sandboxes applications. All software has bugs, this is an actual exploit, where the right sequence of bytes in an SMS cause some sort of permanent change that it shouldn't be able to make, and then a reboot, which is most certainly a kernel flaw, as the kernel must be invoked to reboot the device. A well written kernel would have prevented this.

 

[sykozis]

[citation][nom]ms_pr[/nom]Does Android have any comparable exploits? No, of course not, it's based on the Linux kernel, it doesn't matter that Android phones rarely, if ever, receive updates.I see that MS hired a PR firm to thumb down unfavorable comments.[/citation]
The exploits are there...I guarantee that. There are security holes in EVERY piece of software. The difference is, whether or not people care to find or publish them. Here's a great example: OSX is no more secure than Windows is, regardless of it's kernel....but, since OSX has such small market share, nobody cares to exploit/publish the security holes. Sandboxing doesn't correct security holes....it's an outright admittance of them...

 

[silver565]

[citation][nom]alidan[/nom]anyone willing to tell me how this bug works because i just cant get my head around it... apparently people thought i wanted to do it before, why i got -4 vote, but i'm interested in the how and why part.[/citation]

I think it's a bit unethical to ask how to do it. But asking about the logical behind it I suppose isn't too bad.

My understand of it is that it's like an SQL injection that websites get hit with. However it's just a guess, and expanding on that is probably against the rules here

 

[sykozis]

[citation][nom]ms_pr[/nom]I see that MS hired a PR firm to thumb down unfavorable comments.[/citation]

No, I just instinctively thumb-down comments from obvious fanboys and trolls...

 

[silver565]

People should also remember, this is only the 2nd major release of the OS. For the second release.. they've done quite well.

I don't even think this is a teething issue to be honest. iOS had similar exploits, but it's all part of the learning curve that companies are thrown with when they build an OS from scratch.

Google faced similar problems with Android, there were exploits in that to begin with as well.

Bashing a company over problems like this is different to bashing a company over removing key features, or deliberately leaving out security measures etc

 

[silver565]

[citation][nom]ms_pr[/nom]I see that MS hired a PR firm to thumb down unfavorable comments.[/citation]

Lol! Seriously? Then we should say the same about iSheep giving the thumbs down to a lot of people on iOS articles.

I think as sykozis has said, it's just fanboys and trolls get thumbed down.

One of my comments on the "bill gates" article was removed because I said Gates contributed to the world more than most in the with his charity/trust & that Microsoft was only a minor part of his achievements, which is why I considered him greater than Jobs, as he went beyond one area, and into saving lives

 

[silver565]

[citation][nom]silver565[/nom]Lol! Seriously? Then we should say the same about iSheep giving the thumbs down to a lot of people on iOS articles. I think as sykozis has said, it's just fanboys and trolls get thumbed down. One of my comments on the "bill gates" article was removed because I said Gates contributed to the world more than most with his charity/trust & that Microsoft was only a minor part of his achievements, which is why I considered him greater than Jobs, as he went beyond one area, and into saving lives[/citation]

^^ should read as that. Too early to be typing lol

 

[zybch]

Place storm back in teacup.
Has anyone here actually been affected by this issue?
I know many people including myself that were affected by some of the multiple probs that iOS and android has while I used their phone platforms.
Big deal.
They got patched and the world moved on.

This kind of thing is pretty common when instead of a 'dumb' phone you start carrying about a portable computer that just happens to make phone calls.

 

[alidan]

i know nothing about phones, so im assumeing this is just a text message, how does that execute code to cripple the phone, i just dont get it.

 

[silver565]

[citation][nom]alidan[/nom]i know nothing about phones, so im assumeing this is just a text message, how does that execute code to cripple the phone, i just dont get it.[/citation]

The same way typing things into search boxes and login boxes can break websites I presume.

I haven't been effected, although an update came through the other night

 

[okibrian]

While having to hard rest a phone may suck, having it catch fire in my pocket would be worse.

 

[willwayne]

[citation][nom]ms_pr[/nom]Does Android have any comparable exploits? No, of course not, it's based on the Linux kernel, it doesn't matter that Android phones rarely, if ever, receive updates.I see that MS hired a PR firm to thumb down unfavorable comments.[/citation]

I thumbed you down, but my bank accounts did not increase in value from it :-( Where do I tap into this resource?

 

[gm0n3y]

I don't really think the flaw mentioned in this article is a big deal. MS knows about it and will most likely fix it before anyone is even affected. All of the major OSes have issues like this occasionally.

[citation][nom]ms_pr[/nom]I see that MS hired a PR firm to thumb down unfavorable comments.[/citation]
What's really bugging me about this article is that the comment ratings are being very heavily biased towards Microsoft. I am having trouble believing that the ratings are from regular users. I've noticed in a number of articles that certain companies tend to be heavily favoured in the ratings regardless of the article and despite the fact that often the majority of the people posting are against them.