Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA)

Microsoft is beginning to release useful security oriented tools. Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) checks Windows NT 4 SP4 and up, Windows 2000, and Windows XP for common security vulnerabilities. MBSA can be installed on Windows 2000 and Windows XP. MBSA currently performs five checks:

Hotfix checks : scans for missing hotfixes for Windows NT 4, Windows 2000, all system services, SQL 7.0, SQL 2000, and IE 5.01 and later.

Password checks : checks for blank and weak passwords.

Vulnerability checks : scans for security issues and common configuration mistakes in Windows
operating systems (NT4, 2000, and XP).

IIS checks : scans for security issues in IIS 4.0 and 5.0.

SQL vulnerability checks : scans for security issues in SQL 7.0 and 2000.

The tool can be run in GUI mode ( mbsa.exe ) or more usefully for automated periodic checks, in command line mode (mbsacli.exe).

Coming on Patch Tuesday: 8 bulletins, 6 critical

The final Microsoft Patch Tuesday for 2008 will be a big one: 8 bulletins covering serious code execution flaws in a wide range of ubiquitous software.
According to the company’s advance notice mechanism, six of the eight bulletins will be rated “critical,” Microsoft’s highest severity rating. The “critical” updates will cover holes in the Windows operating system, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Visual Basic and Visual Studio, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.