A flaw in the module pam_motd (message of the day), which displays the daily motto and other information after login (to the shell), can be exploited under Ubuntu to expand access rights. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to gain root access. Ubuntu has already provided a patch for the flaw. Operators of multi-users systems should install it as soon as possible because directions are already in circulation via Twitter on how to exploit the flaw to get access rights to the password file /etc/shadow. The file can then not only be read, but changed.
The …

The Spring version of the popular Mandriva Linux distribution is now available for download on mirrors worldwide. With the release of Mandriva Linux 2010.1 “Spring,” we definitely know that Mandriva is alive and kicking. The final release comes in three editions: One Edition, Free Edition and Powerpack Edition. Mandriva Linux 2010.1 is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures, with GNOME and KDE4 LiveCDs.
Mandriva Linux 2010.1 “Spring” offers hot features, such as Guest account, a new installation method and improved Mandriva Directory Server. It also comes with some bleeding-edge applications, like Mozilla …

Today, we are announcing our first update for the MeeGo v1.0 Core Software Platform &Netbook User Experience project release, announced on May 25th.
Many of you were quick to install our recent release of MeeGo v1.0 on your netbook. We appreciate all of the community help from those of you who tested our release and filed bugs. In fact, this update has over 100 bug fixes and is recommended for all users running MeeGo 1.0.
This update includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your devices, as well …

Microsoft has extended the life of Windows XP beyond the date that Windows 7 gets its first service pack.
Previously it had been thought that the Vole was going to discontinue the right to downgrade from Windows 7 to XP when the Windows 7 SP1 service pack came out.
Now it appears, according to a Microsoft blog, that Microsoft has decided to extend downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional beyond the previously planned end date at Windows 7 SP1.
Apparently this will help maintain consistency for downgrade rights throughout the Windows 7 lifecycle, …

Details of Microsoft’s plans for its Windows 8 operating system has been leaked on the internet.
A PowerPoint document, allegedly part of a Microsoft presentation given to a Hewlett-Packard executive and dated April 2010, indicates that Windows 8 will include support for facial recognition technology and will be compatible with tablet computers.
The UK’s Daily Telegraph reports that the source of the original leak has been removed from the internet, but tech blog
Microsoft Kitchen has posted a detailed analysis and screenshots of the presentation.
According to the leaked presentation, Microsoft is focusing on reducing the …

Microsoft has released information that a service pack will be coming both to Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Server 2008, this was announced yesterday at the TechEd conference in New Orleans.
The up-coming service pack is planned to have tweaks to security, performance, and reliability for the eight-month-old Windows 7, including boosts for Remote Desktop Services and for Hyper-V, Microsoft’s virtualization platform.
While the new features for Windows Server 2008 R2 benefit Windows 7 by providing a richer VDI experience, SP1 will not contain any new features that are specific to Windows 7 …

IBM has joined forces with chip companies Arm, Freescale, Samsung, ST-Ericsson and Texas Instruments, to create a company that will help the succession and the development of Linux software for devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers, netbooks and maybe even televisions.
Quote from IBM:
“We had a lot of feedback from manufacturers that they really wanted to use Arm chips but the complexity was a challenge. Most of them are coming from an Intel environment where you don’t have all those variants,” said Ben Cade, co-chief executive of Linaro. “We got a lot …

Google is planning to spin out its browser-based Chrome OS “operating system” in the “late fall” of 2010, according to a Mountain View wonk.
Chromium OS is an open-source project that aims to build an operating system that provides a fast, simple, and more secure computing experience for people who spend most of their time on the web. Here you can review the project’s design docs, obtain the source code, and contribute. To learn more about the project goals, read the announcement blog post.