Critical vulnerabilities have been identified in Adobe Flash Player 10.1.85.3 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Solaris, and Adobe Flash Player 10.1.95.1 for Android. These vulnerabilities, including CVE-2010-3654 referenced in Security Advisory APSA10-05, could cause the application to crash and could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.


Full Adobe advisory info here.


Affected software includes:


Microsoft has released a security advisory concerning a vulnerability affecting Internet Explorer versions 6, 7 and 8. This vulnerability may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code. Full details here.


Visit Microsoft's page here to get full instructions. You can find the workarounds under the "Suggested Actions" twisty.


Marijuana and Mid-Terms

by Andy on November 2nd, 2010 in Security Alert.

Over Halloween we saw the usual glut of malicious sites hijacking spooky search engine results. Today looks to bring some more search engine result hijacking opportunities for the bad guys.


Adobe have published details of a critical vulnerability the following applications.


Adobe Flash Player 10.1.85.3 and earlier versions
Adobe Reader 9.4 and earlier 9.x versions
Adobe Acrobat 9.4 and earlier 9.x versions


The vulnerability could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.


...brains.. brains..

by Andy on October 29th, 2010 in Everyday Life at Lavasoft.

Mozilla have published an update for their Firefox browser that fixes a critical security issue that could potentially allow remote code execution.


Users are strongly recommended to update to the latest version. To update manually, select 'Check for Updates' from the Help menu then clicking on "CHeck for Updates"


More information about the updates is available here.


Fast turnaround on the fix, Mozilla - well done.


From the Mozilla blog:


Issue:
Mozilla is aware of a critical vulnerability affecting Firefox 3.5 and Firefox 3.6 users. We have received reports from several security research firms that exploit code leveraging this vulnerability has been detected in the wild.


Defensive Computing

by Andy on October 22nd, 2010 in Comment, How to, Security Tips.

Windows is an attractive platform for the malware writers, in part, because of the sheer number of users. As Microsoft creep towards making their offerings more secure, applications are increasingly becoming the focus for vulnerability exploitation.


Like Windows, Adobe products are a default software choice for most users. The bad guys know this and realise that its profitable to scrutinise their applications for exploitable vulnerabilities and create malware to take advantage of the fact.


Firefox 3.6.11 and Thunderbird 3.15 have been released which include security updates for several critical vulnerabilities that can be exploited to run malicious code. Users are advised to update these applications.

Full details about the updates here:

Firefox
Thunderbird

Its a good idea to set these applications to check for updates automatically.


RealNetworks, Inc. have published product upgrades addressing vulnerabilities in RealPlayer SP 1.1.4 and earlier.

The vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code.

Windows users of RealPlayer SP 1.1.4 and earlier are advised to upgrade to the latest version here

For more information, visit RealNetworks' security advisory here



So, you’ve just bought a new PC or installed a fresh version of Windows. The simple fact is it's not as secure as it could be.


It doesn’t take much to tighten up your PC’s defenses - even if your computer has been up and running for a while, it’s not too late to carry out a security audit on your machine.


You probably wouldn’t leave your house without checking the windows are closed and the doors are locked. Why would you do that? Well, to stop someone breaking in and stealing your stuff or to prevent people just walking in and spray painting the walls.


Microsoft Updates available

by Andy on October 13th, 2010 in Security Tips.

Microsoft have released a number of patches to fix recently reported vulnerabilities within Windows, Office and Internet Explorer. These vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to gain control of your computer or cause it to crash.

More information about what has been patched is available from Microsoft's 10th October Security Bulletin here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms10-oct.mspx

If you don't have automatic updates enabled, install the updates by visiting https://www.update.microsoft.com


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