Y2.01K bug trips up Symantec

[gregmcc]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/05/symantec_y2k10_bug/

Symantec have issued a statement, which states that: "An issue has been identified in the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) server whereby all types of SEP definition content [AV/AS, IPS] with a date greater than December 31, 2009 11:59pm are considered to be 'out of date'."

 

[The_Unbeliever]

some programmer used 2-digit fields for the year instead of a 4-digit field

 

[The_Unbeliever]

It seems Symantec's not the only one affected : http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/06/year_2010_payment_card_bug/

 

[DylanHaskin]

as they say, History repeats itself

 

[DJNgoma]

as they say, History repeats itself

I wonder how people are supposed to learn from other's mistakes when the ones who made them can't even learn themselves...

 

[rabbiddog]

some programmer used 2-digit fields for the year instead of a 4-digit field

A quick fix for Y2K that failed.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

A quick fix for Y2K that failed.

That, as well

But quite interesting to note that only some banks have been affected, others have not.

 

[Keeper]

some programmer used 2-digit fields for the year instead of a 4-digit field

but two digits would be enough to cross over from 09 to 10 shouldn't it?

 

[The_Unbeliever]

but two digits would be enough to cross over from 09 to 10 shouldn't it?

No, it won't.

11
12
13
14


now tell me which century these are from

they can be from the 9th, 10th, 15th or 19th century for all I care.

If you have a proper 4-digit field, then you can see exactly what's going on

2011
2012
2013 etc etc

remember a computer can't make "adjustments" like a human does, so if you'll give a compootah a date of 10-01-01 it'll reject it, but a human might assume it to be 2010-01-01.

 

[rabbiddog]

That, as well

But quite interesting to note that only some banks have been affected, others have not.

A lot of the big systems still run on old languages i.e. Cobol so it depends if they did a quick fix or a propper fix.

I had a client at a prevoius company who wanted a quick "if YY < 10 then" used as a fix as it would cost less than fixing the data files and all the code, luckily he is not my client any more.

 

[Keeper]

remember a computer can't make "adjustments" like a human does, so if you'll give a compootah a date of 10-01-01 it'll reject it, but a human might assume it to be 2010-01-01.

yes I get that, but if it worked from 01(2001) to 09(2009), what's stopping it from going to 10(2010)?

 

[The_Unbeliever]

yes I get that, but if it worked from 01(2001) to 09(2009), what's stopping it from going to 10(2010)?

Let's leave that to the experts to discover

 

[The_Unbeliever]

I had a client at a prevoius company who wanted a quick "if YY < 10 then" used as a fix as it would cost less than fixing the data files and all the code, luckily he is not my client any more.

Wonder whose client's he now...

It takes ages to weed out all date-related stuff... and there'll always be some nasty lurking within the depths somewhere...

 

[rabbiddog]

yes I get that, but if it worked from 01(2001) to 09(2009), what's stopping it from going to 10(2010)?

If you look at a date of birth or document date of 1910-06-06 but only use 2 numbers then you get 10-06-06.