A security flaw in open-source software used by Linux and Unix systems for compression may affect some Microsoft products that also use the code. As reported earlier this week by CNET News.com, a flaw in the zlib software-compression library could . . .

A security flaw in open-source software used by Linux and Unix systems for compression may affect some Microsoft products that also use the code. As reported earlier this week by CNET News.com, a flaw in the zlib software-compression library could leave much of the systems based on the open-source operating system Linux open to attack.

On Thursday, researchers reported that at least nine of Microsoft's major applications--including Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, DirectX, Messenger and Front Page--appear to incorporate borrowed code from the compression library and could be vulnerable to a similar attack.

Microsoft representatives said that the software giant's security response team is investigating the zlib flaw and that some Microsoft applications use code from that compression library. However, the team hasn't yet determined which applications use the library and whether those applications are vulnerable.

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