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MS Admitted to Bug in MyBBQ 2002
A well respected member of an underground BBQ Hacking team reveiled a potentially dangerous bug in MS's popular MyBBQ 2002. "It has to do with the DirectPropaneValve," he said on a UseNet post following the press release last Thursday. "When a user installs a fresh ActivePropaneTank, the valve resets to 'max flow' and 'on'. Because this proceedure usually happens more than an hour before standard use, dangerous gasses can build up inside the body of the MyBBQ, and subsequent ignition could potentially roast the user and others nearby. I sent three emails over the past two weeks detailing the flaw, but I have gotten [little] useful responses back. Among the concerns was that anyone with a sutable pre-1960's supersonic tv remote can edit the registry, making it appear that the ActivePropaneTank has been changed."
MS Representitave downplayed the seriousness of the bug, saying that "normal users do not need to be poking around under the hood. If the ActivePropaneTank needs to be re-installed, [he] should take it to a designated Repair Center, or buy a new MyBBQ.... Releasing this information into the wild before an adaquate bug fix could be developed only puts normal users into an undue state of worry and risk, as there are many BBQ vigilante's out there waiting to take advantage of the latest security flaws in the BBQ-OS.... Besides, there are no reports of any [sutable] remotes out there."
Currently, the only workaround is to leave ActivePropaneTank uninstalled when the unit is not in use, and the check the state of the DirectPropaneValve immediately after installation.
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[ August 16, 2002: Message edited by: beltorak0 ]