Windows 98 Not to get Crucial Fixes : Microsoft

Microsoft has given up on the idea of patching security vulnerabilities in Windows 98 and Windows ME. The latest flaw has to do with the way Windows Explorer handles the COM objects used by Windows programs. Attackers could take over a system by tricking users into visiting a website that would then connect them to a remote file server. “This remote file server could then cause Windows Explorer to fail in a way that could allow code execution.” Last Thursday, however the company updated its bulletin on the issue, saying that this fix for the Win98 /Me platform would require a lot of work. It would require a major rewrite of an 8 year old platform, which is many generations out of date now. “After extensive investigation, Microsoft has found that it is not feasible to make the extensive changes necessary to eliminate the vulnerability,” Microsoft’s bulletin states. “We have found that these architectures will not support a fix for this issue now or in the future.” Microsoft is about to stop providing security fixes for Windows 98 and ME altogether. Anyway the company’s next monthly patch release on this Tuesday is the last scheduled security fix for the two operating systems.