Microsoft patches two zero-day flaws

In today's podcast: Microsoft patches two zero-day flaws; PC makers unenthusiastic about Google Chrome OS; and Twitter closes accounts spreading Koobface.

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Microsoft will deliver six security updates next Tuesday, three of them rated critical, the company's highest threat ranking. Two of those fix holes that hackers have been using for months to attack Windows and Internet Explorer, while a third fixes a more recently discovered problem with an Activex control for IE. The other three patches are marked "important," the next rating down in Microsoft's four-step scoring system. One will patch problems in Publisher, another in Internet Security and Acceleration Server and the final one will fix Microsoft's Virtual PC and Virtual Server software. Unusually, Microsoft published information about two of the critical flaws before having patches available for them.

Most of the PC vendors Google listed on its blog as partners for the new Chrome operating system say they're evaluating the software but have not committed to creating devices around it -- a far less upbeat message about their collaboration than Google had portrayed. Asustek Computer, pioneer of the netbook devices that Chrome may appear in first, said it was not sure yet if it would release any products based on the operating system. HP and Lenovo had similar messages.
Google is developing the Linux-based Chrome operating system for heavy Internet users, and says it will begin appearing in netbooks in the second half of next year.

Twitter is suspending the accounts of some users whose computers have fallen victim to a piece of malicious software called Koobface. The software spreads itself by checking to see if person is logged into a social network, then posting fraudulent messages on the person's account trying to entice friends to click a link leadsing to a malicious Web site that tries to infect the PC. Koobface has previously attacked other social networks, including Facebook, but is now a new version is targeting Twitter users.

And finally, Microsoft's Silverlight 3 technology, which adds offline capabilities to the company's rich Internet application platform, is already available for download, ahead of today's official launch event. Silverlight is Microsoft's answer to the established Flash platform for multimedia experiences on the Web. Other features of Silverlight 3 include improvements in audio, video and 3D graphics.

And those are the top stories from the IDG Global IT News Update, brought to you by the IDG News Service. I'm Peter Sayer in Paris. Join us again later for more news from the world of technology.