A bug exists in two PAM modules: pam_smb and pam_ntdom. They are
pluggable authentication modules that allow authentication of usernames
and passwords in PAM-compatible environments against Windows and Samba.
Both modules contain remotely exploitable stack buffer overflows. This
bug allows an attacker to execute arbitary code as root. The versions
affected are: pam_smb advisory is at LWN.net.

What would it take to get former Netscape CEO James Barksdale to give money to the lead engineer behind the Web browser that crushed his company and launched the federal antitrust suit against Microsoft? A dozen top Microsoft engineers, including the lead engineers for Internet Explorer and Access, and the head of the “Dot-Net” initiative, are starting a company to try to take the hassle out of running an Internet company. And Barksdale thinks it’s a good enough idea that he joined a $10 million venture round, reports ZDNet.

From a story at afr.com.au: “Recording and movie companies were fighting a losing battle to try to control the copying and distribution of their products over the internet, John Gage, the chief scientist at computer maker Sun Microsystems said.”

“This is the mother of all computers.” So claimed Hewlett-Packard Co.’s Duane Zitzner, president of computing systems, as he helped roll out HP’s latest high-end Unix server line, the Superdome HP 9000, in New York City on Tuesday, reports ZDNet.

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Harry Browne has a message for some of the folks in Silicon Valley: You might think you’re libertarian, but you’re not. The story is at ZDNet.

The community at Slashdot discusses Intervideo’s promise to deliver a “legal” Linux DVC player.

From a review of IBM’s new notebook at ZDNet: Transmeta Corp.’s Crusoe chips may also be in the future for the X-series.

Australian IT announces, Baltimore Technologies’ UniCERT is the first PKI product to be ITSEC E3 accredited in the world, but the company still has some hurdles to jump to ensure its security system has the ultimate seal of approval.

CRN reports, Computer Associates has released the latest version of its Unicenter TNG Software Delivery Option, but channel partners will have to wait a few more months to get their hands on it.

According to Internet Wire the product combines PC Guardian’s most popular notebook computer security cable with a suite of the company’s Encryption Plus software that protects data in folders, email, and network transmissions.