Security: @RISK Newsletter

@RISK Newsletter and Tippingpoint warn about the security of the following widely used software:
(1) CRITICAL: Multiple Cisco Products Multiple Vulnerabilities
(2) CRITICAL: VMware ActiveX Control Multiple Remote Command Execution Vulnerabilities
(3) HIGH: HP OpenView Products Multiple Vulnerabilities
(4) HIGH: Symantec Norton Multiple Products ActiveX Controls Buffer Overflow
(5) MODERATE: Microsoft DirectX SDK ActiveX Control Buffer Overflow
(6) MODERATE: Astaro Security Gateway Multiple Vulnerabilities

I'd consider a full update/upgrade along with a set of tutorials on how to do it by the products mentioned above, especially VMWare & DirectX users ;)

I'd also like to recommend to use a Mozilla Firefox addon, NoScript, which I personally endorsed a year back and still love it!

A minor news, a new virus has been found called 'Storm Worm'. Read more about it here.

Security: @RISK Newsletter

This time, CA (computer associates) and four of its products parade along with a critical security hole. Quoting @RISK Newsletter:

This week four CA products (eTrust IDS, Unicenter, CleverPath, and
BrightStor) were found to all use a common service that has a critical
buffer overflow error.

The vulnerabilities detected are listed here:
Widely Deployed Software
(1) CRITICAL: Yahoo! Widgets ActiveX Control Buffer Overflow
(2) CRITICAL: Computer Associates Multiple Products Multiple Vulnerabilities
(3) CRITICAL: BakBone NetVault Reporter Scheduler Buffer Overflow
(4) HIGH: Panda Antivirus Products Multiple Vulnerabilities
(5) HIGH: Borland InterBase Create Request Buffer Overflow
(6) HIGH: ESET NOD32 Multiple Vulnerabilities
(7) HIGH: Norman Antivirus Multiple Vulnerabilities


Quite a lot of sensitive programs, especially those of NOD32 and Norman, two mostly respected and widely used antivirus products. I hope they'll get the patches out soon enough to calm down the public and their customers.

Security: @RISK Newsletter

Brought to you from the house of the European wieners... (too much Cartoon Network).
As it is stated in @RISK Newsletter, most critical new vulnerabilities were found in Oracle and Trillian. Also, several Computer Associate's security and backup tools also have multiple vulnerabilities as does Firefox.

(1) CRITICAL: Cerulean Studios Trillian URI Handling Vulnerabilities
(2) CRITICAL: Oracle Products Multiple Vulnerabilities (CPU July 2007)
(3) HIGH: Mozilla Products Multiple Vulnerabilities
(4) HIGH: Computer Associates Alert Notification Server Multiple Buffer Overflows

References:
(1) http://www.xs-sniper.com/nmcfeters/Cross-App-Scripting-2.html
(2) http://www.oracle.com/technology/deploy/security/critical-patch-updates/cpujul2007.html
(3) http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/24946
(4) http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/24947

Security: Critical vulnerabilities in Excel and .NET Framework

One of the most critical weeks for this year, Excel and .NET framework are the top, as @RISK Newsletter mentions:

The most critical vulnerabilities announced this week are in Excel and the .NET Framework. Overall, Windows had three, Office had two, and other MS products had one. Microsoft wasn't alone: Sun, Apple, Symantec, Adobe, McAfee, and Cisco also had high-risk vulnerabilities this week. Add to that the vulnerability in Progress Server, used by RSA Security and many other products, and you have a complex week for finding and mitigating vulnerabilities.

(1) CRITICAL: Microsoft Excel Multiple Vulnerabilities (MS07-036)
(2) CRITICAL: Microsoft .NET Framework Multiple Vulnerabilities (MS07-040)

Linux also faces 6 vulnerabilities, but not so critical:

07.29.32 - policyd W_Read Function Remote Buffer Overflow
07.29.33 - Netwin SurgeFTP Multiple Remote Vulnerabilities
07.29.34 - SquirrelMail G/PGP Encryption Plug-in Multiple Remote Command Execution Vulnerabilities
07.29.35 - IBM AIX Libodm Unspecified Buffer Overflow
07.29.36 - Linux PowerPC Kernel Restore_Sigcontext Local Denial of Service
07.29.37 - Linux Kernel Decode_Choices Function Remote Denial of Service

It's not the time to brag about using free software, since you see that Linux is also vulnerable. But at least with a proper router that has a firewall you can use Ubuntu desktop or any Linux/*BSD distribution that is meant for desktop usage, such as PC-BSD. I won't start stating why linux is better, because there is already
a website for that matter: http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net.