Microsoft and Adobe January 2010 Patch Day

Microsoft and Adobe January 2010 Patch Day

via gHacks technology news by Martin on 1/13/10

Microsoft and Adobe have released their regular security updates today. Microsoft has only released one patch for most of its operating system. The patch fixes a vulnerability in the embedded OpenType font engine that could allow remote code execution. The rating of this vulnerability is low for all operating systems but Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4.

• Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-001 – Critical Vulnerability in the Embedded OpenType Font Engine Could Allow Remote Code Execution (972270) – This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user viewed content rendered in a specially crafted Embedded OpenType (EOT) font in client applications that can render EOT fonts, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office PowerPoint, or Microsoft Office Word. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs, view, change, or delete data, or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

  This security update is rated Critical for Microsoft Windows 2000, and is rated Low for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Adobe has released security updates for Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat which patch critical vulnerability in Adobe Reader 9.2 and Adobe Acrobat 9.2 for Windows, Macintosh and Unix as well as Adobe Reader 8.1.7 and Acrobat 8.1.7 for Windows and Macintosh.

• These vulnerabilities could cause the application to crash and could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. Adobe recommends users of Adobe Reader 9.2 and Acrobat 9.2 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and UNIX update to Adobe Reader 9.3 and Acrobat 9.3. Adobe recommends users of Acrobat 8.1.7 and earlier versions for Windows and Macintosh update to Acrobat 8.2. For Adobe Reader users on Windows and Macintosh who cannot update to Adobe Reader 9.3, Adobe has provided the Adobe Reader 8.2 update. Updates apply to all platforms: Windows, Macintosh and UNIX.