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Quote:Some of the latest security updates for Windows XP will not be installed on machines infected with a rootkit virus.
A rootkit is sneaky malware that buries itself deep inside the Windows operating system to avoid detection.
Microsoft said it had taken the action because similar updates issued in February made machines infected with the Alureon rootkit crash endlessly.
So the upshot is that if you have the rootkit problem, you are on your own!
IMHO this is a surprising stance for Microsoft to take as you would have thought that if the updates process detects it then surely a fix could be applied at the same time.
Perhaps I am dreaming again 😀Anti-Virus -> Search for and remove rootkit -> re-run Windows Update
Job done.
Should be noted that some AV systems won’t deal with rootkits by default. AVG for example needs a manual rootkit scan I believe. The rootkit however shouldn’t get installed anyway if the runtime check is working.
I guess the prob with rootkit malware is that by its very nature it is harder to detect and remove.
Not something you want to get on your machine at all – yet people still go round downloading and installing dodgy copies of new software even though they know it is being distributed by hackers. D’oh!
A half decent AV solution and common sense are the best protection imo.
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