Skip to main content
Monthly Archives

April 2017

||Microsoft Bad Patch

Patch Emergency: Microsoft’s Bad Release

By Patch ManagementNo Comments
[vc_single_image image=”12486″ img_size=”medium”]

Bad Patches Results in Blue Screen of Death

Looks like Microsoft may be heading yet again into troubled waters with the new cumulative update approach to releasing patches.  After cancelling February’s Patch Tuesday altogether, they released a massive update in March forcing IT managers to scramble to install the huge number of updates.  And now in April, it looks like the recently released Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems (KB4015217) or Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1703 for x64-based Systems (KB4015583) may bring more pain than improvement.  Installs fail, and cause the target devices to blue screen, leaving users with inoperable devices.

If you are using Windows automatic updates, there is no buffer between you and hours of work restoring corrupted computers.  Using Syxsense, you can easily create a phased rollout to test new content on a pilot group of devices.  With our centralized, web based console, you can verify the success of test groups across a globally distributed network BEFORE you start deployment.  Prevent calls from distressed employees before you have to recover from an IT disaster.  With CMS, when you discover that a patch is harmful, you can click a single button and move it to “Patch Quarantine”, a folder to store all patches you wish to never check or install.

[dt_default_button link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.syxsense.com%2Fsyxsense-trial%2F|||” size=”big” button_alignment=”btn_center”]START FREE TRIAL[/dt_default_button][vc_empty_space]

Adding to the confusion is Microsoft’s new practice of releasing 2 versions of the same patch.  When you search the Microsoft Update Catalog for April’s Patch Tuesday release you get multiple results for the same patch:

  • Delta update: Containing only the changes and additions since the last Patch Tuesday release
  • Cumulative Update: Containing all patches released to the current Windows Version

 

Because the cumulative update is every growing, and will swell to larger and larger sizes as the year progresses, downloading and installing every month is a waste of bandwidth, employee time, and resources.  The Delta update will remain smaller and get significantly more so later in the year.  With CMS you have the detection logic sophisticated enough to understand which version of the patch you need, only download the appropriate version, and even use our peer to peer sharing to make installation more efficient.

[vc_single_image image=”12447″ img_size=”large”]
|||

Inside Look: Inventory

By Patch ManagementNo Comments
[vc_separator]

Get Started

Start a free, 14-day trial of Syxsense, which helps organizations from 50 to 10,000 endpoints monitor and manage their environment, all from just a web browser. An email will be automatically sent to the address you provide.

[dt_default_button link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.syxsense.com%2Fsyxsense-trial%2F|||” size=”big” button_alignment=”btn_center” icon_type=”picker” icon_picker=”fas fa-angle-double-right” icon_align=”right”]START YOUR FREE TRIAL OF SYXSENSE[/dt_default_button]

April Patch Tuesday: Sound the Alarm

By Patch Management, Patch TuesdayNo Comments
[vc_single_image source=”featured_image” img_size=”medium”]

Hackers Exploit Sirens in Dallas

Spring has sprung and the sirens are already sounding – that is for 1.6 million residents in Dallas last week. It has been reported that 156 emergency sirens were enabled for 90 minutes last weekend due to a possible hack of the computer system. This is one of the largest breaches known to have happened for this vital warning system which is normally reserved for alerting residents of tornadoes and other dangerous weather. See the full details of the recent hack on Dallas here.

The next time you hear about a complex cyber-attack on a business, there is a good chance it was performed by one or a small group of individuals taking advantage of basic vulnerabilities in the environment.

[vc_single_image image=”12386″ img_size=”medium”]

There is little evidence to suggest that all successful attacks are complex and require whole teams of computer geeks, armed to the teeth with the latest security probing tools. The root cause of cyber-attacks is often far more straightforward – you are not patching your environment, or you are only patching in response to threats. Keep an eye out later this month as we release our “Avoiding Patch Doomsday” advice. This whitepaper gives you the knowledge and tools to protect your environment.

[dt_default_button link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.syxsense.com%2Fsyxsense-trial%2F|||” size=”big” button_alignment=”btn_center”]START FREE TRIAL[/dt_default_button]

Microsoft Updates

We have chosen a few updates to prioritize this month, this recommendation has been made using evidence from industry experts (including our own), anticipated business impact and most importantly the independent CVSS score for the vulnerability. The independent CVSS scores used in the table below range from 0 to 10. Vulnerabilities with a base score in the range 7.0-10.0 are High, those in the range 4.0-6.9 as Medium, and 0-3.9 as Low.

ID Description CVSS Score Recommended High Priority
CVE-2017-0158 Microsoft Internet Explorer Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability 8.8 Yes
CVE-2017-0197 Microsoft Office Insecure Library Loading Vulnerability 8.8 Yes
CVE-2017-0199 Microsoft Office Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability 8.8 Yes
CVE-2017-0200 Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability 8.8 Yes
CVE-2017-0204 Microsoft Office Security Bypass Vulnerability 8.8 Yes
CVE-2017-0205 Microsoft Edge Memory Corruption Vulnerability 8.8 Yes
CVE-2017-0166 Microsoft Windows LDAP Request Processing Privilege Escalation Vulnerability 8.1 Yes
CVE-2017-0106 Microsoft Outlook Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability 7.8 Yes
CVE-2017-0160 Microsoft .NET Framework Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability 7.8 Yes
CVE-2017-0189 Microsoft Windows Win32k Kernel Driver Privilege Escalation Vulnerability 7.7 Yes
CVE-2017-0162 Microsoft Windows Hyper-V Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability 7.6 Yes
CVE-2017-0163 Microsoft Windows Hyper-V Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability 7.6 Yes
CVE-2017-0180 Microsoft Windows Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability 7.6 Yes
CVE-2017-0181 Microsoft Windows Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability 7.6 Yes
CVE-2017-0194 Microsoft Office Memory Corruption Vulnerability 7.5 Yes
CVE-2017-0169 Microsoft Windows Hyper-V Information Disclosure Vulnerability 7.3 Yes
CVE-2017-0202 Microsoft Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability 7.1 Yes
CVE-2017-0155 Microsoft Windows Graphics Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability 6.9
CVE-2017-0156 Microsoft Windows Graphics Component Privilege Escalation Vulnerability 6.9
CVE-2017-0165 Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation Vulnerability 6.6
CVE-2017-0201 Microsoft Internet Explorer Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability 6.4
CVE-2017-0179 Microsoft Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability 5.8
CVE-2017-0182 Microsoft Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability 5.8
CVE-2017-0183 Microsoft Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability 5.8
CVE-2017-0185 Microsoft Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability 5.7
CVE-2017-0186 Microsoft Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability 5.7
CVE-2017-0191 Microsoft Windows Denial of Service Vulnerability 5.7
CVE-2017-0178 Microsoft Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability 5.4
CVE-2017-0184 Microsoft Windows Hyper-V Denial of Service Vulnerability 5.4
CVE-2017-0210 Microsoft Internet Explorer Security Bypass Vulnerability 5.3
CVE-2017-0211 Microsoft Windows Document Processing Privilege Escalation Vulnerability 4.9
CVE-2017-0058 Microsoft Windows Win32k Kernel Driver Information Disclosure Vulnerability 4.7
CVE-2017-0164 Microsoft Windows Active Directory Denial of Service Vulnerability 4.4
CVE-2017-0188 Microsoft Windows Win32k Kernel Driver Information Disclosure Vulnerability 4.3
CVE-2017-0192 Microsoft Windows Font Driver Library Information Disclosure Vulnerability 4.3
CVE-2017-0195 Microsoft Office Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability 4.3
CVE-2017-0207 Microsoft Office Security Bypass Vulnerability 4.3
CVE-2017-0208 Microsoft Edge Scripting Engine Information Disclosure Vulnerability 4.3
CVE-2017-0093 Microsoft Edge Scripting Engine Memory Corruption Vulnerability 4.2
CVE-2017-0203 Microsoft Edge Security Bypass Vulnerability 4.2
CVE-2017-0168 Microsoft Windows Hyper-V Information Disclosure Vulnerability 3.8
CVE-2017-0159 Microsoft Windows Active Directory Federation Services Security Bypass Vulnerability 3.7
CVE-2017-0167 Microsoft Windows Kernel Information Disclosure Vulnerability 3.3

Get Started

Start a free, 14-day trial of Syxsense, which helps organizations from 50 to 10,000 endpoints monitor and manage their environment, all from just a web browser. An email will be automatically sent to the address you provide.

[dt_default_button link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.syxsense.com%2Fsyxsense-trial%2F|||” size=”big” button_alignment=”btn_center” icon_type=”picker” icon_picker=”fas fa-angle-double-right” icon_align=”right”]START YOUR FREE TRIAL OF SYXSENSE[/dt_default_button]
|

Third-Party Patch Updates: Patches for CIA Hacks

By Patch ManagementNo Comments
[vc_single_image image=”12185″ img_size=”medium”]

Third-Party Patches | April Updates

Skype is improving, but ending support for past versions. They have unleashed a new update to their popular product, however, they will completely cut off support for Skype for Windows versions 7.16 and earlier. In addition, they aren’t just stopping updates to older versions, it will also cease to function.

Allen-S, Admin and Community Manager, said: “As we continue to transition Skype from a person-to-person video and chat app to a modern, mobile friendly cloud architecture, we have to let go of the past to allow us to focus our energy on delivering a better experience to you.”

Wikileaks reveal that the CIA is manipulating software

Wikileaks recently published the article “Vault 7: CIA Hacking Tools Revealed.” This list of compromised software includes Notepad++. When Notepad++ is launched, the original scilexer.dll is replaced by a modified scilexer.dll built by the CIA.

[vc_single_image image=”11213″ img_size=”medium” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.syxsense.com/trial-sign-up/”]

This doesn’t mean the CIA is reading your code or secret messages, but it prevents detection while the DLL collects data in the background.

Notepad has released an update that they say checks the DLL certificate and makes it harder to hack. However, if you’ve already been compromised by the CIA, you’re out of luck. Patching regularly reinforces your security and updating today blocks hacking attempts tomorrow.  Hackers (and the CIA) are ever vigilant, are you?

[dt_default_button link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.syxsense.com%2Fsyxsense-trial%2F|||” size=”big” button_alignment=”btn_center”]START FREE TRIAL[/dt_default_button]
[vc_separator]

Third-Party Updates

Every month we see a bevy of new third party updates, and are always enhancing our library of supported vendors. Special requests and additions are welcomed. This month’s releases include: 

Product Category Patch
Chrome Web Browser Chrome_v57.0.2787.110
Skype Online calls Skype_v7.34
iTunes Music Player iTunes_v12.6
Flash Media Player Flash Player Desktop Runtime_v25.0.0.127

 

Flash Player for Google Chrome_v25.0.0.127

 

Flash Player for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11_v25.0.0.127

Shockwave Media Player Shockwaveplayer_v12.2.8.198
Firefox Web Browser Firefox_v52.0.1
Thunderbird` Email Client Thunderbird_v45.8.0
Notepad++ Source code editor Notepadpp_v7.3.3
CitrixReceiver File access CitrixReceiver_v4.7.0.15674
WinSCP File browser WinSCP_v5.9.2
Wireshark Network protocol analyzer Wireshark_v2.2.5
Foobar Audio player Foobar2000_1.3.15
Evernote Multi device Note pad Evernote_v8
Glary Utilities PC cleanup Glary_v5.72.0.93
MediaMonkey Media Manager MediaMonkey_v4.1.16 Beta
Opera Browser Opera_v44.0.2510.857
Adobe Air AdobeAIR_v25.0.0.134
AIMP Audio Player AIMP_v4.13.1887
Filezilla FTP Client FileZilla_v3.25.1

 

Patch Details
Adobe Flash Player

 

V25.0.0.127

·    These updates resolve a buffer overflow vulnerability that could lead to code execution (CVE-2017-2997).

·    These updates resolve memory corruption vulnerabilities that could lead to code execution (CVE-2017-2998, CVE-2017-2999).

·    These updates resolve a random number generator vulnerability used for constant blinding that could lead to information disclosure (CVE-2017-3000).

·    These updates resolve use-after-free vulnerabilities that could lead to code execution (CVE-2017-3001, CVE-2017-3002, CVE-2017-3003).

Adobe Shockwave Player

 

V12.2.8.198

·    This update resolves a vulnerability in the directory search path used to find resources that could lead to escalation of privilege (CVE-2017-2983).
Firefox

 

V52.0.1

Vulnerabilities Fixed:

·    JIT-spray targeting asm.js combined with a heap spray allows for a bypass of ASLR and DEP protections leading to potential memory corruption attacks.

·    A crash triggerable by web content in which an ErrorResult references unassigned memory due to a logic error. The resulting crash may be exploitable.

·    A use-after-free can occur when events are fired for a FontFace object after the object has been already been destroyed while working with fonts. This results in a potentially exploitable crash.

·    When adding a range to an object in the DOM, it is possible to use addRange to add the range to an incorrect root object. This triggers a use-after-free, resulting in a potentially exploitable crash.

·    A use-after-free error can occur when manipulating ranges in selections with one node inside a native anonymous tree and one node outside of it. This results in a potentially exploitable crash.

·    A segmentation fault can occur in the Skia graphics library during some canvas operations due to issues with mask/clip intersection and empty masks.

·    Using SVG filters that don’t use the fixed point math implementation on a target iframe, a malicious page can extract pixel values from a targeted user. This can be used to extract history information and read text values across domains. This violates same-origin policy and leads to information disclosure.

·    Memory corruption resulting in a potentially exploitable crash during garbage collection of JavaScript due errors in how incremental sweeping is managed for memory cleanup.

·    A use-after-free can occur during buffer storage operations within the ANGLE graphics library, used for WebGL content. The buffer storage can be freed while still in use in some circumstances, leading to a potentially exploitable crash.
Note: This issue is in libGLES, which is only in use on Windows. Other operating systems are not affected.

·    The Mozilla Windows updater can be called by a non-privileged user to delete an arbitrary local file by passing a special path to the callback parameter through the Mozilla Maintenance Service, which has privileged access.
Note: This attack requires local system access and only affects Windows. Other operating systems are not affected.

·    Video files loaded video captions cross-origin without checking for the presence of CORS headers permitting such cross-origin use, leading to potential information disclosure for video captions.

·    A buffer overflow read during SVG filter color value operations, resulting in data exposure.

·    A segmentation fault can occur during some bidirectional layout operations.

·    The file picker dialog can choose and display the wrong local default directory when instantiated. On some operating systems, this can lead to information disclosure, such as the operating system or the local account name.

·    An attack can use a blob URL and script to spoof an arbitrary addressbar URL prefaced by blob: as the protocol, leading to user confusion and further spoofing attacks.

·    In certain circumstances a networking event listener can be prematurely released. This appears to result in a null dereference in practice.

·    When dragging content from the primary browser pane to the addressbar on a malicious site, it is possible to change the addressbar so that the displayed location following navigation does not match the URL of the newly loaded page. This allows for spoofing attacks.

·    The Gecko Media Plugin sandbox allows access to local files that match specific regular expressions. On OS OX, this matching allows access to some data in subdirectories of /private/var that could expose personal or temporary data. This has been updated to not allow access to /private/var and its subdirectories.
Note: this issue only affects OS X. Other operating systems are not affected.

·    On Linux, if the secure computing mode BPF (seccomp-bpf) filter is running when the Gecko Media Plugin sandbox is started, the sandbox fails to be applied and items that would run within the sandbox are run protected only by the running filter which is typically weak compared to the sandbox.
Note: this issue only affects Linux. Other operating systems are not affected.

·    A non-existent chrome.manifest file will attempt to be loaded during startup from the primary installation directory. If a malicious user with local access puts chrome.manifest and other referenced files in this directory, they will be loaded and activated during startup. This could result in malicious software being added without consent or modification of referenced installed files.

·    An out of bounds read error occurs when parsing some HTTP digest authorization responses, resulting in information leakage through the reading of random memory containing matches to specifically set patterns.

·    If a malicious site repeatedly triggers a modal authentication prompt, eventually the browser UI will become non-responsive, requiring shutdown through the operating system. This is a denial of service (DOS) attack.

·    A javascript: url loaded by a malicious page can obfuscate its location by blanking the URL displayed in the addressbar, allowing for an attacker to spoof an existing page without the malicious page’s address being displayed correctly.

·    Certain response codes in FTP connections can result in the use of uninitialized values for ports in FTP operations.

·    A malicious site could spoof the contents of the print preview window if popup windows are enabled, resulting in user confusion of what site is currently loaded.

·    If a malicious site uses the view-source: protocol in a series within a single hyperlink, it can trigger a non-exploitable browser crash when the hyperlink is selected. This was fixed by no longer making view-source: linkable.

·    Mozilla developers and community members Carsten Book, Calixte Denizet, Christian Holler, Andrew McCreight, David Bolter, David Keeler, Jon Coppeard, Tyson Smith, Ronald Crane, Tooru Fujisawa, Ben Kelly, Bob Owen, Jed Davis, Julian Seward, Julian Hector, Philipp, Markus Stange, and André Bargull reported memory safety bugs present in Firefox 51. Some of these bugs showed evidence of memory corruption and we presume that with enough effort that some of these could be exploited to run arbitrary code.

·    Mozilla developers and community members Boris Zbarsky, Christian Holler, Honza Bambas, Jon Coppeard, Randell Jesup, André Bargull, Kan-Ru Chen, and Nathan Froyd reported memory safety bugs present in Firefox 51 and Firefox ESR 45.7. Some of these bugs showed evidence of memory corruption and we presume that with enough effort that some of these could be exploited to run arbitrary code.

Wireshark

 

V2.2.5

This new update fixes multiple vulnerabilities that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition.

Get Started

Start a free, 14-day trial of Syxsense, which helps organizations from 50 to 10,000 endpoints monitor and manage their environment, all from just a web browser. An email will be automatically sent to the address you provide.

[dt_default_button link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.syxsense.com%2Fsyxsense-trial%2F|||” size=”big” button_alignment=”btn_center” icon_type=”picker” icon_picker=”fas fa-angle-double-right” icon_align=”right”]START YOUR FREE TRIAL OF SYXSENSE[/dt_default_button]