OK. I downloaded and installed Belarc Advisor. It seems to be a useful application. Two things on its report caught my attention:
The first:Missing Microsoft Security Hotfixes
KB939653-IE7 - Critical
(details...) These required security hotfixes (using the 10/09/2007 Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary) were not found installed. Note: CIS benchmarks require that Critical and Important severity security hotfixes must be installed.
The second:Installed Microsoft Hotfixes
...
X KB917344 on 06-08-2007
(details...) Reinstall! About
the first, i followed the link
(details...). It points to a Microsoft page titled
MS07-057: Cumulative security update for Internet Explorer. There, are followed the first link
View products that this article applies to. I saw this:
APPLIES TO
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 Service Pack 1
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 Service Pack 1
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 Service Pack 1
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
Strange, isn't it ? And IE7 -the browser i'm using- does not appear in the list. Do you think i should install this ?
About
the second, i followed the link
(details...). It points to a Microsoft page titled
MS06-023: Vulnerability in Microsoft JScript could allow remote code execution. There, the link to be followed by Home users -
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/update/bulletins/200606.mspx- directed me to a useless page: they tell that to get the update, i should go to
Windows Update, or to
Microsoft Update, which is useless, as a explained before. So, i followed the link for IT professionals (which i'm not) -
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-023.mspx- and saw a familiar page. There, under
Affected components, clicked the link corresponding to my OS -
Download the update. First, under
Quick Details, changed language to Portuguese, then if i click on the link to
Download files below, i have to choose from a list of files to download: see the attached file. Since i use the portuguese version of Windoxs XP Home, i guess i should download one of this two: WindowsXP-KB917344-x86-PTB.exe or WindowsXP-KB917344-x86-PTG.exe. Which one, i'm not sure. Perhaps the PTG ? (yeah, this sounds like a DUMMY/DUMB question)
Any advices on both of the two Hotfixes i mentioned -
the first and
the second ?
I took approx. 3 hours writing this post...