Microsoft security flaw has Netscape

Microsoft has announced it is investigating reports that its FrontPage Web

creation software contains several server security flaws, including one that was

allegedly created deliberately by a Microsoft engineer.

The latter flaw allows anyone with the correct password to gain access to

otherwise blocked parts of a Web site on a the site’s server as well as to

protected information on other Web sites that may reside on the same server. The

password, "Netscape Engineers are Weenies" has reportedly been part of

the FrontPage program for more than five years to the embarrassment of

Microsoft, which has been accused of targeting Netscape for trying to illegally

hurt that company’s business.

"This is classic Microsoft arrogance," commented a Netscape

spokeswoman Catherine Corre, now an America Online subsidiary. Meanwhile

Microsoft also acknowledged another newly discovered security flaw in the

server-software part of its FrontPage 98 Web creation program. The bug could let

hackers run unauthorized programs on Web servers and cause them to crash.

Microsoft has urged customers to delete the file "dvwssr.dll,'' which

contains the flaw.