The flaws, which range from minor slipups in rarely used applications to more serious vulnerabilities in software that ships with most versions of the Linux operating system, were found as part of Bernstein's graduate-level course at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The advisories regarding the flaws were dated Wednesday and can be found on the Web site of student James Longstreet. Bernstein, a professor of computer science at the university, did not immediately respond to inquiries about the vulnerabilities.
The latest crop of security flaws comes two days after a software-testing company announced that it had found 985 flaws in the latest Linux kernel during the past four years using the company's analysis software. While the number seems high, the company said it is far lower than the number associated with most commercial software.
Each person in the class during the fall semester had to find 10 flaws, a task that counted toward 60 percent of their grade for the class, according to class notes posted on Bernstein's Web site. With only 44 flaws discovered among a reported 25 students, the students better hope for a generous curve.
What the hell? This is tiled and written in a manner to paint Open Source with perverbal egg on the face. Based on recent news.
Even as it references the very preceeding reports of Linux/Open Source with execllent and superior quality, security and even truly lower cost (contrasting MS words).
Sure, the students finding the bugs is interesting and the article does suggest it was tough for them to make the grade finding Open Source bugs but it is sorely lacking in this current climate of confusion, Microsoft on the war path and plan ole FUD (Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt).
It is poor reporting in my view. Don't leave out the details such as most people don't understand the Open Source concept yet. This even though it's proved to work. People think Open Source is or can be nothing more than inferior. They are not aware of cutting edge select choices such as MEPIS. http://www.mepis.com
The old Linux is dead.
Most people are invested (AKA trapped) in a Windows world (and this is changing fast) and they aren't (largely) aware yet that the alternative is better. I wouldn't have said that last year but overall Mepis is truly better. It's ALL about which "distribution " one chooses (to each his own) but please try mepis v2004.4 or newer first (AKA SimplyMEPIS).
You can get mepis at LinuxCD for $3.89 USD! That's for burning and shipping to your door (no gas required)! Read http://www.mepis.com to see why.
With this many full features and (new) ease of use please don't forget this is why NOW is a good time to migrate (you do *NOT* have to erase Windows). Now is the time because who knows how much better Linux will be next year; at this pace. A pace that no closed vendor can match!
Set the OS free and let it be Open and not closed for the users of the world. Just try it now and keep your money for hardware.
At LEAST and to start, download and run (for free) Firefox and Open Office for Windows.
This is the path people and it's no longer difficult to follow. Join the Linux ease of use movement. If you are not technical (and that's OK) , just ask for help and you are sure to find a Linux friend that will install it for you. By the way; given a partition, Mepis can be installed in about 20 minutes with it's easy installer but just pop it it the CD drive and boot it LIVE (2 minutes) to watch it automagically detect and install all your hardware. If you like it use it. If you don't then remove the CD and your done. Now how much risk is $3.89 (US) and 2 minutes?