Odd update request

Terry · Guest

I received a suspicious email from Microsoft, and even my Live Hotmail didn't
like the attached download links, and it said in a roughly stated note, that
I had to download and install this: "December 2007, Cumulative Patch"

The email had this message:

"Microsoft Customer

this is the latest version of security update, the "December 2007,
Cumulative Patch" update which resolves all known security vulnerabilities
affecting MS Internet Explorer, MS Outlook and MS Outlook Express as well as
three newly discovered vulnerabilities. Install now to protect your computer
from these vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could allow an
malicious user to run code on your computer. This update includes the
functionality of all previously released patches."

There are 3 attachments, which the email security stated: "Windows Live
Hotmail has blocked some attachments in this mail because they appear unsafe."

Question: If this is a needed update, for security reasons, why doesn't
this run in the automatic mode like all the other updates and patches? Even
after going to the Windows update page, and running the search for needed
updates, this didn't show up, and is not found in the update history of the
XP system. Is this a real email or a hoax getting me to install malicious
codes?
--
Terry

Google · Sponsor

Shenan Stanley · Guest

Terry wrote:

TaurArian · Guest

Microsoft NEVER sends Email updates -
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/news/patch_hoax.mspx

--
====================================
TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2008 - Australia
====================================
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
http://taurarian.mvps.org/index.htm
Emails will not be acknowledged - please post to the newsgroup so all may benefit.

"Terry" <Terry@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:ECB37276-C699-4A86-82DC-73E5964186D5@microsoft.com...
|I received a suspicious email from Microsoft, and even my Live Hotmail didn't
| like the attached download links, and it said in a roughly stated note, that
| I had to download and install this: "December 2007, Cumulative Patch"
|
| The email had this message:
|
| "Microsoft Customer
|
| this is the latest version of security update, the "December 2007,
| Cumulative Patch" update which resolves all known security vulnerabilities
| affecting MS Internet Explorer, MS Outlook and MS Outlook Express as well as
| three newly discovered vulnerabilities. Install now to protect your computer
| from these vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could allow an
| malicious user to run code on your computer. This update includes the
| functionality of all previously released patches."
|
| There are 3 attachments, which the email security stated: "Windows Live
| Hotmail has blocked some attachments in this mail because they appear unsafe."
|
| Question: If this is a needed update, for security reasons, why doesn't
| this run in the automatic mode like all the other updates and patches? Even
| after going to the Windows update page, and running the search for needed
| updates, this didn't show up, and is not found in the update history of the
| XP system. Is this a real email or a hoax getting me to install malicious
| codes?
| --
| Terry
|

Terry · Guest

Thanks you so much for the link to Microsoft that explains this email in
depth to me. The example it shows in the site is the exact one I received,
except for the fact it has been updated with the year 2007 at the bottom,
instead of 2003 in the example. I wish this was easier to find, as I believe
many people will be duped by this, as it looks so official. I am going to
pass this particular link to the page to my friends so that they are not
swept into this dangerous scam.

--
Terry

"TaurArian" wrote: