full-disclosure - 70 million computers are using Windows 98 rightnow

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Date: Tue Jul 11 18:30:00 2006
From: se_cur_ity at hotmail.com (Morning Wood)
Subject: 70 million computers are using Windows 98
	rightnow

Windows 98 has no remote exploits, only client side attacks ( IE, OE, WMP 
and 3rd party apps )
( try sticking a win98 box in a dmz or direct to the Internet... It wont get 
owned ). I dont think it is that huge of an issue that they are "abandoning" 
it's users.

 The impending abandonment of support for Win98 has been comming for at 
least 2 years
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/lifecycle/default.mspx
http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3298741

As a matter of fact I have a Win98 box just for a game ( Descent2 on 3dfx 
!!! ) and my TV tuner.

Replace IE and OE with open source replacements, and the platform could be a 
low cost alternative that would also carry a fair degree of security for 
those that would like to deploy it.

One suggestion to Microsoft would be to make Win98 ( and Dos 6.2x ) 
available as a freeware OS since they will no longer be burdened by support, 
patches and etc anyway. Replace IE and OE with open source replacements, and 
the platform could be a low cost alternative that would also carry a fair 
degree of security for those that would like to deploy it.

They could even open up some source code that is not used by the currently 
supported OS's, that could bring a good deal of support and development by 
the community.

my2bits,
MW