

Microsoft hits out at Google team over bug report - corneliusjac
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30779898

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free652
Well Microsoft had 90 days to fix the problem, why would 2 days make a
difference? Sounds like Microsoft is trying to shift the blame and not to
acknowledge that they fucked up.

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k-mcgrady
>> "Google's Project Zero seeks to find bugs in popular software and then give
the manufacturers responsible 90 days to fix the problem."

Seems reasonable.

>> "On 11 January, Google publicised the flaw. Microsoft said it had requested
that Google wait until it released a patch on 13 January."

Dick move. Sorry, I can't think of any other way to describe it. They may have
waited until the last minute (or maybe they really did have to rewrite a tonne
of code) but that's no excuse or putting users at risk when you can wait two
days. Seems more like a marketing tactic than a desire for faster security
patches.

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Drakim
> Seems more like a marketing tactic

What do you think is most likely, that Google engineers were smirking and
rubbing their hands together in evil glee as they planned to throw eggs on
Microsoft's face, or do you think the bug just went though the 90 day
mechanics and got released normally, not getting special treatment?

I seriously doubt it was "marketing tactic" but rather just a matter of not
being flexible.

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k-mcgrady
With things like this you have to be flexible. All they asked for was an extra
two days. To ignore that request you are doing something that could hurt users
and hurt your competitor and it just seems slightly malicious. I can't see an
excuse for it that makes it seem like a reasonable decision. Maybe it's not
exactly a marketing tactic but it's malicious nonetheless.

~~~
fixermark
> With things like this you have to be flexible

Not really. Google offered Microsoft the same thing they offer every vendor
they find a vulnerability in: ninety days. If Microsoft couldn't fit a fix
into an entire quarter's worth of development, that's on them.

Let vendors set the schedule for security fixes, and they will prioritize
their own schedules over keeping their house in order. There is too much
evidence of this to believe otherwise.

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gjm11
Duplicate of
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8873694](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8873694)
which has substantially more comments; may I suggest that discussion occur
there rather than here?

