Bind 8 patches available

[John.Airey () rnib org uk]

Glen Bishop (glen () glenbishop com) posted this link to Bugtraq earlier today:

http://www.isc.org/products/BIND/patches/

There are only unified diffs available, rather than a new package version,
which I find rather incredible. In fact, the disclosures by ISS and ISC have
been farcical, more akin to a hoax virus alert than a genuine security
alert.

I recognise that ISC does need financing, and therefore has set up what is
basically a private members club for updates. I also recognise how vital
that the root name servers and ccTLD servers are patched first (rather
worringly, the ISC says the root name servers and TLD servers have to be
patched first. Unless the DNS protocol has been rewritten overnight, these
are the same servers).

However, there comes a point where it is necessary to release both the
details of the vulnerability AND the patch at the same time. The only
conclusion I can make is that this is a cynical ploy to force an upgrade to
BIND 9, a tactic used much more by a certain company based in Redmond,
Seattle, WA.

- 
John Airey, BSc (Jt Hons), CNA, RHCE
Internet systems support officer, ITCSD, Royal National Institute of the
Blind,
Bakewell Road, Peterborough PE2 6XU,
Tel.: +44 (0) 1733 375299 Fax: +44 (0) 1733 370848 John.Airey () rnib org uk 

If we could learn one thing from September 11th 2001, it would be the utter
absurdity of moral relativism.


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