Newsletter Archives

• October Flash Player 27.0.0.170 causing problems with VMware Vcenter

  Posted on October 31, 2017 at 10:29 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Just got this from an old friend, GW:

  We have seen issues with the Oct Flash Player 27 (27.0.0.170) with VMware Vcenter crashing IE and Firefox when it runs.

  https://communities.vmware.com/thread/574450

  The only fix I’ve found it deploying Adobe Flash Player 27 (27.0.0.183) and using Firefox as the Flash in Windows 10 hasn’t been updated by Microsoft yet.

  Have you seen any reports of this?

  Other Flash Player

• February 2017 Adobe Flash Player security updates available

  Posted on February 14, 2017 at 19:54 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  From EP:

  Hey Woody.  Happy Valentine’s Day.

  While Microsoft has chosen to delay the release of the February 2017 security updates for .NET, IE, Edge, Office and Windows, Adobe has posted new Flash Player updates on Feb. 14 as scheduled in Adobe security bulletin APSB17-04

  https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb17-04.html

  These new updates install Flash Player version 24.0.0.221.  The new patches for Windows 8, 8.1 & 10 are not yet available until Microsoft releases them (at earliest tomorrow 2/15 or Thursday 2/16, or whenever MS is ready).

  Other Flash Player

• New security bulletin MS16-083 / KB 3167685 – Adobe Flash Player

  Posted on June 16, 2016 at 13:54 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Microsoft just released a patch for Win 8.1 and 10 systems that covers all of the security patches in Adobe’s ASPB16-18, a mammoth list.

  MS16-083 / KB 3167685 should be arriving on a computer near you.

  It’ll be interesting to see if the Win10 version rolls out to Win10 machines,  not as part of a cumulative update. I just now got it on my Win10 machines. It installs separately, doesn’t require a reboot, and even upon reboot it doesn’t change the Win10 build number (currently version 1511 build 10586.420.)

  Of course, I’ve been railing against Flash for a decade. Don’t use it, disable it everywhere. If you see a site that needs Flash, write a Nastygram to the web folks.

  Windows Patches/Security Flash Player, KB 3167685

• New version of Flash – thwarts Cerber ransomware

  Posted on April 7, 2016 at 14:42 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Just in from CA:

  Ya might want to make your audience aware that Adobe has released new versions of Flash player today that supersede those released on March 23. This is to address a critical vulnerability (zero day) that is actively being exploited in the wild.

  Adobe Security Advisory
  https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsa16-01.html

  The latest Flash zero-day was used to spread Cerber ransomware
  http://www.pcworld.com/article/3053593/the-latest-flash-zero-day-was-used-to-spread-cerber-ransomware.html

  Adobe Flash Player Emergency Patch To Address A Critical Vulnerability
  http://neurogadget.com/2016/04/07/adobe-flash-player-emergency-patch-address-critical-vulnerability/27858

  Old version: IE, Firefox, Chrome
  21.0.0.197

  New version:
  21.0.0.213

  Check which version is currently installed:
  http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

  Other Cerber, Flash Player

• New Flash Player updates

  Posted on February 16, 2016 at 11:36 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  From EP –

  New Adobe Flash Player security updates were posted last Tuesday
  Feb. 9 in Adobe security bulletin APSB16-04:
  https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb16-04.html
  Win8.1 & Win10 users can obtain Flash Player updates from Microsoft
  Windows Update.

  Windows Patches/Security Flash Player

• New third party program updates

  Posted on January 27, 2016 at 14:28 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Randy the Tech Professor has a list of the latest versions of important programs that you may be running:

  Chrome, Java, Opera, Foxit, Skype, Flash Player, Acrobat Reader.

  Here’s Randy’s listing.

  Other Acrobat Reader, Chrome, Flash Player, Foxit, Java, Opera, Skype

• Flash Player and Shockwave Player security updates

  Posted on September 23, 2015 at 14:20 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  This just in from ER:

  New Adobe Flash Player security updates released Monday September 21, 2015
  on Adobe security bulletin APSB15-23.
  https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb15-23.html
  The new Flash Player updates update Flash Player to version 19.0.0.185.
   
  New Adobe Shockwave Player security updates released Tuesday September 8, 2015
  on Adobe security bulletin APSB15-22 (kinda late for this)
  https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/shockwave/apsb15-22.html
  This new Shockwave player update will update the Shockwave plugin to version 12.2.0.162.
   
  And here’s a tool from the creators of Spybot S&D antivirus software called
  Spybot Anti-Beacon that blocks those telemetry (spying) stuff on Windows 7, 8.1 & 10:
  https://www.safer-networking.org/spybot-anti-beacon/
   
  Windows Patches/Security Flash Player, Shockwave

• Adobe Reader & Flash Player updates

  Posted on August 14, 2014 at 05:14 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  This in from ER:

  New Adobe Reader security updates for August can be found here: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/reader/apsb14-19.html 

  And new Adobe Flash Player security updates for August can be found here: https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb14-18.html

   

  Windows Patches/Security Adobe Reader, Flash Player

• Flash Player update and KB 2952664

  Posted on July 11, 2014 at 20:40 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  This just in from ER…

  Adobe has released a new set of Flash Player security updates this July
  in Adobe Security bulletin APSB14-17:
  https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb14-17.html

  earlier this month you recommended to install the KB2952664 update
  for Windows 7 users.  Recently, Microsoft quietly “revised” the
  KB2952664 updates in mid-June (V2) and again in early July and now they’re
  at V3.

  Here are the direct download links to V3 of the Windows 7 KB2952664 updates
  as I’ve gathered them from the BITS logs from Event Viewer on Win7 while
  searching for KB2952664 from the Microsoft Update Catalog site:

  KB2952664 for x64/64bit Windows 7 SP1:
  http://download.windowsupdate.com/d/msdownload/update/software/updt/2014/07/windows6.1-kb2952664-v3-x64_14f057154dbfc1f2658029f7745b49f4a088d7e4.msu

  KB2952664 for x86/32bit Windows 7 SP1:
  http://download.windowsupdate.com/d/msdownload/update/software/updt/2014/07/windows6.1-kb2952664-v3-x86_082b2bd3ceaf809a7eee3e9faba5a79f78b92144.msu

  For those who have installed the “original” version of KB2952664 back in late April
  or sometime in May, uninstall that one and install the revised KB2952664 patch.

  Fascinating. The KB article is still at version 1.0. Somebody’s playing fast and loose with the generally accepted patching principles.

  Windows Patches/Security Flash Player, KB 2952664

• New Reader, Acrobat, Flash patches — and a SinoXP push for Linux

  Posted on May 14, 2014 at 23:36 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  This just in from EP:

  Adobe has released new Adobe Reader & Acrobat security updates here new Adobe Flash Player security updates for May 2014 posted here.

  And I saw this on Softpedia news about the Chinese gov’t making a TV campaign for XP users to choose Linux. That’ll be tough to do for those folks there who are still reluctant to move away from XP.

  MS14-029 for IE is the first batch of IE security patches to no longer involve XP.  If XP users really want the MS14-029 patches for IE6/IE7/IE8, they’ll have to get a Microsoft custom support agreement to secretly obtain the MS14-029 updates from Microsoft.

  Good points. I’m beginning to wonder if anybody can figure out how to use the Server patches to IE 6 in XP systems. 

  (EP also asked me to put together a rebuttal to Tony Bradley’s Top Story in Windows Secrets Newsletter, Why continuing support for XP is bad math. Of course, I’ve long been advocating for cheap Windows XP extended support for the masses. Doesn’t look like it’s going to happen — no matter what Tony or I say.)

  Other Acrobat, Adobe Reader, Flash Player

• Adobe Reader and Flash Player updates, and Avira vs Win8

  Posted on May 17, 2013 at 06:49 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  This just in from EP –

  Another round of monthly security updates for Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash Player have been posted this May.

  Adobe security bulletin APSB13-15 mentions new security patches for Adobe Reader:
  http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb13-15.html
  while Adobe security bulletin APSB13-14 mentions new security patches for Flash Player:
  http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb13-14.html

  As for Avira Antivirus software and Windows 8, only Avira Free Antivirus (aka. Avira
  Antivir Personal) has been certified as Windows 8 compatible since early April 2013
  as mentioned here:
  http://www.avira.com/en/support-for-home-knowledgebase-detail/kbid/1385
  the rest of their products (Avira Antivirus Premium, Avira Internet Security, etc.) have yet to receive the Windows 8 certification from Microsoft.

   
  Windows Patches/Security Adobe Reader, Avira, Flash Player