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Update: Microsoft Beta Newsgroups 'Wide Open'

Steven Parker   on 06 August 2003 - 10:27 · 71 comments & 10695 views

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Thanks to a prying eye and probably a stroke of luck, a user has managed to exploit Microsofts Newsgroups via Microsoft BetaNews. That user can gain access to any Beta newsgroup as long as he has a valid Microsoft BetaID and that person knows the ID number for the newsgroup.

A friend enabled us here at Neowin to access the microsoft.beta.longhorn developer preview groups that were opened in March for select developers. The newsgroups there aren't buzzing with activity since they received the official M4 build of Windows Longhorn Professional and not much else since.

We will be passing this information on to Microsoft so that they can review their security. Below is a screenshot of our entry to these newsgroups.

Update: We have contacted Microsoft Security, Some of the more sensitive newsgroups have now been locked down, but less important ones still seem to be affected

Screenshot: >> Click here <<
View: Microsoft BetaNews (requires valid BetaID)

Post a comment · Send to friend Comments · There are 71 additional comments
(1 reply) #1 on 01 Jan 1970 - 00:00
#1.1 Neobond on 06 Aug 2003 - 11:15
its not fake because I coinfirmed the exploit myself and we arent showing people how to do it because that could create mayhem on the betanews groups. MS will surely love us for that.

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