Updates 2022-04-12

Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for April, 2022.

It’s another big one. Sprinkle a little disaster and angst on a world war, give script kiddies a megaphone and encourage them to hack strangers and you end up with the perfect storm of malice.

This Month in Technology

2FA/MFA implementations, Advanced Medical Practice Management, Alacrity Solutions Group, LLC, Alberta vaccine passport system, American Express, ASUS routers, Atlassian, Ballad Health, a large banking platform, Bank of Ireland, Bernards Township School District, Bet9ja, Black River Falls School District, Bradley Airport, Bridgestone Americas, CafePress, Caisse nationale d’assurance maladie, Cancer and Hematology Centers of Western Michigan, Capital Region Medical Center, Cash App, CDEK, Central Indiana Orthopedics, Central Minnesota Mental Health Center, Central Vermont Eye Care, Charleston Area Medical Center, Inc., Chelan Douglas Health District, Christie Clinic, Clinic of North Texas, LLP, Colorado Physician Partners, PLLC, Creative Services Inc, Cytometry Specialists, Denso, Dialyze Direct, LLC, Doctors Me, Duncan Regional Hospital, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, East Windsor Township, Electoral Services Department of Wandsworth Council, EMC National Life Insurance, Emma Sleep Company, Englewood Health, Ermenegildo Zegna, Finland Department of Defense, Fox, Gainwell Technologies, LLC, GitLab, Globant, hundreds of GoDaddy’s Managed WordPress sites, Google Chrome (over 40 security vulnerabilities fixed in the last month), Grand Coloane Resort, H.P. Hood Dairy, Harris County Jail, Hellenic Post, Highmark Inc, Honda and Acura cars, Horizon Actuarial Services LLC, hundreds of HP printer models, HubSpot, Iberdrola, Isle of Wight EV chargers, Israeli government, Jefferson Dental and Orthodontics, l’Assurance, Labette Health, Law Enforcement Health Benefits, Inc., Local 295 IBT Employer Group Welfare Fund, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, MailChimp, Major League Baseball Players Benefit Plan, Mansfield company, Medical Surgical Eye Care, Mercado Libre, Microsoft, MikroTik routers, Miratorg Agribusiness HoldingMN District 518, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, National Rifle Association, New Jersey Brain and Spine, New York City public schools, Nordex, Northern Ireland TrustFord, Norwood Clinic, Okta (though they initially claimed otherwise, then backtracked), Palo Alto Networks, Palo Alto Networks hardware, Parker Hannifin Corp, Partnership HealthPlan of California, PhySynergy, LLC, PressReader, QNAP, Ronin, Rosaviatsia, Roskomnadzor, Rostec, Royal Enfield, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Russian Lipetsk Mechanical Plant, Russian Orthodox Church, Samsung Electronics, Scottish Association for Mental Health, Scottish Power, Sea Mar Community Health Center, Shutterfly, Snap-On, Sophos Security, South Denver Cardiology Associates, Spokane Regional Health District, Spring Framework for Java, SummaCare, SuperCare, Taylor Regional Hospital, Tennessee Pediatric Hospital, Texas Department of Insurance, The Works, Thomas Allen, Inc., Toei, Toyota, Transneft, TransUnion, Travelio, Trend Micro Apex Central, Trezor, Trinity Home Care, Inc., Ubisoft, Ukrainian IT Army, Ukrtelecom, Valley View Hospital Association, Veeam products, Viasat modems, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Vodafone, WatchGuard, Western Digital My Cloud, Wheeling Health Right Inc, Wynn Palace, Wyze Cam, ZAP-Hosting, and Zyxel hardware were hacked or compromised this month.

Now for the good news:

Internet Explorer is finally going to be going away in only two months. While this will eliminate a program that nobody should be using, it will have some side-effects  for businesses that rely on Active-X objects. Still, net win.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Patch Tuesday this month is smaller than it has been in months. The typical computer should see roughly 2.7 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates for .NET Framework, Active Directory Domain Services, Azure SDK, Azure Site Recovery, LDAP, Microsoft Bluetooth Driver, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Graphics Component, Microsoft Local Security Authority Server, Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Office SharePoint, Microsoft Windows ALPC, Microsoft Windows Codecs Library, Microsoft Windows Media Foundation, Power BI, Role: DNS Server, Role: Windows Hyper-V, Skype for Business, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock, Windows App Store, Windows AppX Package Manager, Windows Cluster Client Failover, Windows Cluster Shared Volume, Windows Common Log File System Driver, Windows Defender, Windows DWM Core Library, Windows Endpoint Configuration Manager, Windows Fax Compose Form, Windows Feedback Hub, Windows File Explorer, Windows File Server, Windows Installer, Windows iSCSI Target Service, Windows Kerberos, Windows Kernel, Windows Local Security Authority Subsystem Service, Windows Media, Windows Network File System, Windows PowerShell, Windows Print Spooler Components, Windows RDP, Windows Remote Procedure Call Runtime, Windows schannel, Windows SMB, Windows Telephony Server, Windows Upgrade Assistant, Windows User Profile Service, Windows Win32K, Windows Work Folder Service, YARP reverse proxy and MSRT (~2 GB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Apple released updates for iOS 15.4.1, iPadOS 15.4.1, macOS Big Sur 11.6.5, macOS Monterey 12.3.1, Security Update 2022-003 Catalina, GarageBand 10.4.6, iTunes 12.12.3 for Windows, Logic Pro X 10.7.3, tvOS 15.4, watchOS 8.5.1, Xcode 13.3. This includes security updates. Use Apple Software Update to install these updates. A reboot is required.

iOS 15.4.1 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

iPadOS 15.4.1 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

tvOS 15.4 is a security update. Use System, Software Update to install the most current version.

watchOS 8.5.1 are security updates. Use the Watch app on your iPhone to install the most current version.

Google Chrome OS 100.0.4896.82 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version. A reboot is required.

Don’t forget to check your mobile devices, too! Many updates will also apply to your tablet, phone, kindle or television – so check your device-appropriate App Store and install updates.

Important Notes

Everything above this section should be checked by everyone on every computer. Chances are good that close to every single computer you touch will be affected by those updates. This is not the case with the items below, though you should still check each line item below to see if it applies to software you have installed.

The release of macOS Monterey (12.x) means that macOS Mojave (10.14) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS Catalina (10.15) on your Mac then you should immediately remove it from the Internet and use it offline only. It will no longer receive patches or updates and can now no longer be secured.

The now-current release of the Windows 10 (v21H2) is very large so will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every year and only supports any consumer builds for 18 months. If you don’t let it finish and you’re on a slow connection, this process will kill your Internet performance forever. If you don’t have the bandwidth to download the bits, I’m happy to provide loaner USB drives to our local clients, or, if you prefer to have me mail it to you please contact me for information.

The now-current release of the Windows 11 (v21H2) is very large so will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 11 pushes you to get the latest Windows 11 release every 6 months and only supports any consumer builds for 24 months. If you don’t let it finish and you’re on a slow connection, this process will kill your Internet performance forever. If you don’t have the bandwidth to download the bits, I’m happy to provide loaner USB drives to our local clients, or, if you prefer to have me mail it to you please contact me for information.

Windows 11 is still very young so I encourage you to wait a few more months before you consider switching to it.

Please remember that while I list many different applications within these updates, most people should ONLY install updates for a program if they already have a previous version of that program installed.

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need or use, reducing the attack surface. This includes “free” applications like Avast, OpenOffice, and games you do not actually play.

Also note that using the applications own “check for updates” function, when available, will best preserve your current settings, and often avoid any crapware that might come with a fresh installer. Use this option if it’s available to you.

Finally, if you’re sick of doing this all yourself, let me! Call or email me any time, and we can set you up with subscription SaferPC updates which will be installed each month whenever necessary. Click, call or email for more details:
https://saferpc.info/updates/
209-565-12PD
shawn@12pointdesign.com

Driver Updates

If you’re using this hardware – these updates are for you.

Hundreds of HP printer models have new firmware security updates or advise disabling the LLMNR protocol. While you’re there consider disabling IPv6, WSD, DHCPv6, as well as SLP unless you’re in a corporate environment, and Bonjour unless you need to print from Apple mobile devices.
https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_5948778-5949142-16/hpsbpi03780

Drivers by Seagull 2022.1 adds support for over 190 new printer models, improves GUI for Driver Wizard and resolves a bug with the GS1 Datamatrix AI 11. This is not a security update.
https://www.seagullscientific.com/support/downloads/drivers/

Browser Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Brave 1.37.113 is a security update.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 100.0.4896.88 is a security update.
https://www.google.com/chrome/

Microsoft Edge 100.0.1185.39 is a security update.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 99.0.1 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Firefox ESR 91.8.0 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/

SeaMonkey 2.53.11.1 is a security update.
https://www.seamonkey-project.org/

Vivaldi 5.2.2623.33 is a security update.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Mailspring 1.10.2 is a security update.
https://getmailspring.com/

Thunderbird 91.8.0 is a security update.
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

NK2Edit 3.43 adds an option to copy the contents of the selected cell. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/outlook_nk2_edit.html

Internet Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

AnyDesk 7.0.7 resolves several bugs, and improves reliability. This is not a security update.
https://anydesk.com/en/downloads

AnyDesk for macOS 6.5.0 adds permission profiles and resolves a layout bug. This is the last version to support EOL macOS versions. This is not a security update.
https://anydesk.com/en/downloads

Dropbox 145.4.4921 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

FileZilla Client 3.59.0 updates libraries. This is a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

Google Drive 56.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://drive.google.com/start

Nextcloud Server 23.0.3 updates libraries and resolves dozens of bugs. This should be treated as a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

ownCloud Client 2.10.1.7187 resolves many bugs. This is not a security update.
https://owncloud.com/desktop-app/

Prosody 0.12.0 resolves several bugs and improves security defaults. This should be treated as a security update.
https://prosody.im/download/start

Rclone 1.58.0 adds several new backends and resolves dozens of bugs. This is a security update.
https://rclone.org/

Skype 8.82.0.403 resolves several bugs and makes cosmetic improvements. This is not a security update.
https://www.skype.com/

Syncthing 1.19.2 updates error messaging. This is not a security update.
https://syncthing.net/

Technitium DNS Server 8.0.2 is a major update adding several new features, updates libraries and apps, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://technitium.com/dns/

Telegram 3.6.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://telegram.org/

Trillian Mac 6.5.0.11 adds native support for M1, new emoji and history features, and resolves many bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.trillian.im/

WGet 1.21.3 updates libraries. This is a security update.
https://eternallybored.org/misc/wget/

Zoom 5.10.1.4420 is a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

FastStone Viewer 7.6 adds several new display controls and improves performance. This is not a security update.
https://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm

Plex Desktop 1.43.3.2951 improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-app

Plex Home Theater 1.14.0.2935 adds a couple new features and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-app

Plex Media Server 1.25.9.5721 updates scanning behavior, adds support for plexmatch files, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-media-server

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Epic Games 14.0.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.epicgames.com/

GameMaker Studio 2022.3.0.625 makes cosmetic and localization changes, adds several new features, and resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.yoyogames.com/en/gamemaker

Nintendo Switch 14.1.0 adds PPN. This is not a security update.
https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22525/kw/system%20updates/p/989

PS5 22.01-05.00.00 provides many changes to the user interface and nomenclature. This is not a security update.
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps5/system-software/

RetroPie 4.8 updates libraries and apps. This is not a security update.
https://retropie.org.uk/

Steam 2022.03.16 resolves cosmetic issues. This is not a security update.
https://www.steampowered.com/platform/update_history/index.php?skin=0&id=0

Office Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Adobe Commerce 2.3.7-p3, 2.4.3-p2, and 2.4.4 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/magento/apsb22-13.html

Adobe Acrobat and Reader 22.001.20117, 22.001.20112, 20.005.30334, 20.005.30331, 17.012.30229, and 17.012.30227 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb22-16.html

Adobe After Effects 22.3 and 18.4.6 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/after_effects/apsb22-19.html

Adobe Photoshop 22.5.7 and 23.3 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/photoshop/apsb22-20.html

Blender 3.1 vastly improves performance and adds several new features and controls. This is not a security update.
https://www.blender.org/download/

Calibre 5.40.0 adds new features, news sources, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://calibre-ebook.com/

IcoFX 3.7.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://icofx.ro/

Kindle for PC 1.35.64251 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.amazon.com/kindleforpc

LibreOffice Still 7.2.6 resolves over 50 bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

LibreOffice Fresh 7.3.2 resolves over 70 bugs, including stability and crash bugs. This should be treated as a security update. The “Fresh” line is beta software so should be avoided by most users.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Nextcloud Desktop 3.4.4 resolves several bugs. This should be treated as a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Notepad++ 8.3.3 resolves a crash bug. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Paint.net 4.3.10 resolves a resize bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.getpaint.net/

PDF-XChange Editor 9.3.360.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-editor

Security Software Updates

One or more of these is likely to be of interest to most people.

Chainsaw 1.1.7 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/countercept/chainsaw

MalwareBytes Anti-Malware 4.5.7 is a security update.
https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/

OpenSSL 3.0.2 is a security update.
https://curl.se/windows/

OSFClone 1.3.1001 updates operating system. This is not a security update.
https://www.osforensics.com/tools/create-disk-images.html

Tails 4.29 is a security update.
https://tails.boum.org/install/dvd/index.en.html

uBlock Origin 1.42.4 improves reliability. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/latest

VT-CLI 0.10.1 improves organization. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/VirusTotal/vt-cli/releases/latest

YARA 4.2.0 updates syntax and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://github.com/countercept/chainsaw

Zorin OS 16.1 updates libraries, apps, improves hardware support, and performance. This is not a security update.
https://zorin.com/os/mirrors/

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Elgato Game Capture HD (macOS) 2.11.14 improves Twitch API support. This is not a security update.
https://help.elgato.com/hc/en-us/articles/360027963512

Open Broadcaster Software 27.2.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://obsproject.com/

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 12.0.6.9 adds support for new encodings.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/download.htm

PDF Creator 4.4.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.pdfforge.org/pdfcreator

Education updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Zotero 6.0.4 is a major update that adds several new features and resolves two dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.zotero.org/

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

1Password for Mac 7.9.4 resolves several bugs and improves performance. This is a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/mac/

Agent Ransack 2022.3314 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/download/

Beyond Compare 4.4.2.26348 improves command line support. This is not a security update.
https://www.scootersoftware.com/download.php?zz=dl4

Bitwarden 1.32.1 updates Safari extension and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://bitwarden.com/

Dell Command Update 4.5 improves startup and SRP performance and adds deferral, session management, and WER handling. This is not a security update.
https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/sln311129/dell-command-update?lang=en

DesktopOK 9.81 improves dark theme. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

DevManView 1.76 adds new quick filter option. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/device_manager_view.html

dnGrep 3.0.42.0 improves regular expressions and boolean testing and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://dngrep.github.io/

dupeGuru 4.2.1 resolves several bugs and updates libraries. This should be treated as a security update.
https://dupeguru.voltaicideas.net/

Etcher 1.7.8 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

FileLocator Pro 2022.3314 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.mythicsoft.com/filelocatorpro/download

GoodSync 11.10.8 resolves dozens of bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

NTLite 2.3.4.8658 adds YubiKey compatibility, upgrades components and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

PowerToys 0.57.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

Recuva 1.53.2078 improves licensing controls. This is not a security update.
https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva

RoboForm 9.2.5 is a security update.
https://www.roboform.com/

Rufus 3.18 is a security update.
https://rufus.ie/en_US/

ScreenConnect 22.3.7487.8130 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.connectwise.com/software/control/download

SearchMyFiles 3.17 adds folder background context option. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/search_my_files.html

SimpleWMIView 1.51 updates the /columns command line switch behavior. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/simple_wmi_view.html

Ookla Speedtest CLI 1.1.1 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.speedtest.net/apps/cli

TeamViewer 15.28.9 resolves a reliability bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.teamviewer.com/en-us/download/windows/

Unity 2021.3.0 resolves many bugs and updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://unity3d.com/get-unity/download/archive

USBDeview 3.03 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

Wazuh Agent 4.2.6 updates Kibana plugin and Splunk app and resolves a bug. This is a security update.
https://wazuh.com/start/

WifiInfoView 2.76 resolves a marking bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ADB 33.0.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools

Docker Desktop 4.7.0 is a security update.
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

GitHub Desktop 2.9.12 adds support for Brackets Editor, JetBrains RubyMine, JetBrains GoLand, and Android Studio, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://desktop.github.com/

Godot 3.4.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://godotengine.org/

Node.js 12.22.12 is a security update. This is the final release of the 12.x line.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 14.19.1 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 16.14.2 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 17.9.0 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

SQLite 3.38.2 resolves several bugs, improves compatibility and CLI support. This is not a security update.
https://www.sqlite.org/download.html

TortoiseSVN 1.14.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://tortoisesvn.net/downloads.html

Visual Studio Code 1.66.1 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

Web Package Updates

These are likely to be of interest only to web developers.

Coppermine Gallery 1.6.18 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://coppermine-gallery.net/

Drupal 9.3.9 is a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

Joomla 4.1.2 is a security update.
https://www.joomla.org/

MailEnable 10.39 resolves several bugs and improves security defaults. This is a security update.
https://www.mailenable.com/

WordPress 5.9.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/

Autoptimize 3.0.2 improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/autoptimize/

BuddyPress 10.2.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/buddypress/

Slider Revolution 6.5.19 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://revolution.themepunch.com/

WooCommerce 6.3.1 is a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/woocommerce/

WPBakery 6.9.0 improves compatibility and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wpbakery.com/

That’s all for now folks. Keep it clean out there. 😉

Regards,

Shawn K. Hall
https://SaferPC.info/
https://12PointDesign.com/

Updates 2021-11-09

Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for November, 2021.

This month we’ve got the new macOS (Monterey) which is bricking Macs, Windows 11 (don’t do it!), and a new build of Windows 10 (v21H2) is slated for release within the next few days. If you’re running a version of Windows 10 prior to v20H2 (v2009/19042) then you’ll want to install either Windows 10 v21H1 or prepare to install v21H2 on release, as the older versions will no longer be supported in only a month.

This Month in Technology

Acer (a couple times), American Osteopathic AssociationAnthem, Inc., Apple iCloudArgentina’s National Registry of PersonsBillQuick, Blue Cross of California, Bryan HealthbZxCalifornia Physicians’ Services (Blue Shield of California), Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador Health SystemsCentara Hotels & ResortsClinical Pathology Diagnostics, LLCCoinMarketCapColleton County School District (SC), Community Medical CentersCyberserveDeep 6 AIDiscord CDN (still), Discourse, Doctors Health Group, Inc., Domaining.comElectronic Warfare (US defense contractor), EU Digital Covid certificate system “Green Pass”Exterity IPTVFamily of WoodstockFerrara Candy CoFullerton HealthGigabyteGitLab serversGraffHariexpressHumana IncInstagram and TikTokKasperskyLas Vegas Cancer CenterLavaca Medical CenterMachon MorMaxim Healthcare GroupMediaMarkt, many more Microsoft Exchange servers, Missouri Delta Medical CenterMLBNational Iranian Oil Products Distribution CompanyNationwide Laboratory ServicesNorth American Dental Management, a bunch of NPM librariesNRAOlympusOpenSea NFTPainters District Council No. 30 Health and Welfare FundPhilips Tasy EMRPlaybookPractice MaxPremier Patient HealthcareProfessional Dental AlliancePutnam County Memorial HospitalQRS, Inc., Quest Diagnostics ReproSourceQuickfoxRobinhoodRussia’s Federal Information SystemScoolioSCUF Gaming InternationalSeneca Family of AgenciesSinclair TVSocietà Italiana degli Autori ed EditoriSurecare Specialty PharmacySyracuse ASC, LLCTescoThingiverseThrockmorton County Memorial Hospitaltribal casinosTwitchTwitterUK Councils (dude!), UK Labour PartyUNC HospitalsUniversity of Colorado BoulderUMass Memorial HealthUniversity of SunderlandThe Urology Center of ColoradoUS Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security InvestigationsUS Water and Wastewater SystemsNational Health Service of UkraineVenmo used to syphon bank accounts, VisibleVisual Tool DVRsViverant PT, LLCWashington Central Unified Union School District (VT), and, of course, more Zoho ManageEngine servers than you can shake a stick at, have been hacked this month.

Google Chromebook enrollmentMicrosoft 365KT, and Voipfone have suffered outages this month. Microsoft overlooked expired certificates again, and Microsoft is force-installing crapware again, as well.

Pwn2Own this year demonstrated over 60 hacks across dozens of devices. Default password patterns (like your phone number) are sadly and unsurprisingly insecure. Facebook will (supposedly) delete 1 billion faceprintsYahoo pulled out of China and YouTube is pushing malware. Mozilla has finally removed two malicious add-ons that have been weakening security for half a million users. macOS Monterey is bricking MacsCanon is being sued for disabling their printers. And McAfee is being purchased by an “investor consortium.”

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Patch Tuesday this month is very large. The typical computer should see roughly 3.0 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates for Windows, Edge, .NET, Servicing Stack, Internet Explorer, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Server 2012, and MSRT (~2.3 GB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Apple released updates for iOS 14.8.1, iOS 15.1, iPadOS 14.8.1, iPadOS 15.1, Safari 15.1, macOS Big Sur 11.6.1, macOS Monterey 12.0.1, Security Update 2021-007 Catalina, tvOS 15.1, and watchOS 8.1. This includes security updates. Use Apple Software Update to install these updates. A reboot is required.

iOS 14.8.1 and 15.1 are security updates. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

iPadOS 14.8.1 and 15.1 are security updates. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

tvOS 15.1.1 is a security update. Use System, Software Update to install the most current version.

watchOS 8.1 is security updates. Use the Watch app on your iPhone to install the most current version.

Google Chrome OS 94.0.4606.114 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version. A reboot is required.

Fedora 35-1.2 is a major update, adding several new configuration and control features, and updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://getfedora.org/en/workstation/download/

Don’t forget to check your mobile devices, too! Many updates will also apply to your tablet, phone, kindle or television – so check your device-appropriate App Store and install updates.

Important Notes

Everything above this section should be checked by everyone on every computer. Chances are good that close to every single computer you touch will be affected by those updates. This is not the case with the items below, though you should still check each line item below to see if it applies to software you have installed.

The release of macOS Monterey (12.x) means that macOS Mojave (10.14) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS Catalina (10.15) on your Mac then you should immediately remove it from the Internet and use it offline only. It will no longer receive patches or updates and can now no longer be secured.

The now-current release of the Windows 10 (v21H1) is very large, for the first time it’s actually smaller than the previous release, but it will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 months and only supports any consumer builds for 18 months. If you don’t let it finish and you’re on a slow connection, this process will kill your Internet performance forever. If you don’t have the bandwidth to download the bits, I’m happy to provide loaner USB drives to our local clients, or, if you prefer to have me mail it to you please contact me for information.

Windows 11 has been released, but it has only been out a few weeks so should be considered beta software. Give it at least a couple months before you install it on your devices.

Please remember that while I list many different applications within these updates, most people should ONLY install updates for a program if they already have a previous version of that program installed.

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need or use, reducing the attack surface. This includes “free” applications like Avast, OpenOffice, and games you do not actually play.

Also note that using the applications own “check for updates” function, when available, will best preserve your current settings, and often avoid any crapware that might come with a fresh installer. Use this option if it’s available to you.

Finally, if you’re sick of doing this all yourself, let me! Call or email me any time, and we can set you up with subscription SaferPC updates which will be installed each month whenever necessary. Click, call or email for more details:
https://saferpc.info/updates/
209-565-12PD
shawn@12pointdesign.com

Driver Updates

If you’re using this hardware – these updates are for you.

Display Driver Uninstaller 18.0.4.6 improves cleanup. This is not a security update.
https://www.wagnardsoft.com/display-driver-uninstaller-ddu

Browser Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Brave 1.31.88 is a security update.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 95.0.4638.69 is a security update.
https://www.google.com/chrome/

Iridium 2021.10.95 is a security update.
https://iridiumbrowser.de/

Microsoft Edge 95.0.1020.44 is a security update.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 94.0.1 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Firefox ESR 91.3.0 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/

Vivaldi 4.3.2439.65 is a security update.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Thunderbird 91.3.0 is a security update.
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

OutlookAttachView 3.44 resolves a profile selection bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/outlook_attachment.html

Internet Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

AnyDesk 6.3.5 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://anydesk.com/en/downloads

Dropbox 134.4.4115 doesn’t provide a detailed changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

FileZilla Client 3.56.2 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

FileZilla Server 1.1.0 is a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

Google Drive 52.0 improves compatibility, no longer respects custom cache location mapping, forcefully overwrites the destination of any link named “Google Drive,” and improves performance. This is not a security update.
https://drive.google.com/start

Rclone 1.57.0 resolves dozens of bugs and improves reliability, compatibility and stability for several platforms and protocols. This is not a secuirty update.
https://rclone.org/

Skype 8.77.0.97 adds background blurring, user pinning, Meet Now improvements, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.skype.com/

Syncthing 1.18.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://syncthing.net/

Technitium DNS Server 7.1 adds certificate generation, Block Page App, Drop Requests App, Query Logs App, Advanced Blocking App, improves logging, and resolves several other bugs. This is a security update.
https://technitium.com/dns/

Telegram 3.2.3 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://telegram.org/
This month Telegram also added advertising support – a harsh reminder that the platform is run by a Russian company.

WinSCP 5.19.4 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://winscp.net/eng/index.php

Zoom 5.8.3.1581 adds administrative controls, improvements in Meeting, webinar, chat, and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

3tene 2.0.18 improves tracking and expression matching reliability. This is not a security update.
https://en.3tene.com/

iTunes 12.12.2 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be considered a security update.
https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Plex Home Theater 1.7.0.2676 improves update check and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-app

Plex Media Server 1.24.5.5173 improves database structure, search matching, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-media-server

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Nintendo Switch 13.1.0 adds support for the new expansion pack. This is not a security update.
https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22525/kw/system%20updates/p/989

PlayStation PS5 21.02-04.03.00 improves performance. This is not a security update.
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps5/system-software/

Steam 2021.10.14 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.steampowered.com/platform/update_history/index.php?skin=0&id=0

Office Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Audacity 3.1.0 improves usability, adds clip handle bars, smart clips, and reworks the looping feature. This is not a security update.
https://www.audacityteam.org/download/

LibreOffice Still 7.1.7 resolves 27 bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

LibreOffice Fresh 7.2.2 resolves almost 70 bugs. This is not a security update. Be aware that the “Fresh” line is beta software and should be avoided in favor of the “Still” line.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Nextcloud Desktop 3.3.6 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Notepad++ 8.1.9 resolves several stability bugs. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Paint.net 4.3.2 improves performance of Tools and plugins, and resolves a reliability bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.getpaint.net/

PDF-XChange Editor 9.2.358.0 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-editor

RoboHelp Server RHS2020.0.2 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/robohelp-server/apsb21-87.html

Adobe InCopy 17.0 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/incopy/apsb21-110.html

Adobe Creative Cloud 5.6 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/creative-cloud/apsb21-111.html

Adobe After Effects 18.4.2 and 22.0 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/after_effects/apsb21-79.html

Adobe Audition 14.4.2 and 22.0 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/audition/apsb21-92.html

Adobe Bridge 11.1.2 and 12.0 are security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/bridge/apsb21-94.html

Adobe Character Animator 4.4.2 and 22.0 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/character_animator/apsb21-95.html

Adobe Prelude 22.0 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/prelude/apsb21-96.html

Adobe Lightroom Classic 10.4 and 11.0 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/lightroom/apsb21-97.html

Adobe Illustrator 25.4.2 and 26.0 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb21-98.html

Adobe Media Encoder 15.4.2 and 22.0 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/media-encoder/apsb21-99.html

Adobe Premiere Pro 15.4.2 and 22.0 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/premiere_pro/apsb21-100.html

Adobe Animate 22.0 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/animate/apsb21-105.html

Adobe Premiere Elements 19.0 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/premiere_elements/apsb21-106.html

Adobe InDesign 17.0 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/indesign/apsb21-107.html

Adobe XMP Toolkit SDK 2021.08 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/xmpcore/apsb21-108.html

Adobe Photoshop 22.5.2 and 23.0 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/photoshop/apsb21-109.html

Security Software Updates

One or more of these is likely to be of interest to most people.

RogueKiller 15.1.3 updates engine and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.adlice.com/download/roguekiller/

Tails 4.24 is a security update.
https://tails.boum.org/install/dvd-download/index.en.html

TinyWall 3.2.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://tinywall.pados.hu/

uBlock Origin 1.38.6 resolves compatibility with Twitch. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/latest

YARA 4.1.3 should be treated as a security update.
https://github.com/countercept/chainsaw

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ScreenToGif 2.34.1 replaces update engine and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/NickeManarin/ScreenToGif/releases/latest

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

MakeMKV 1.16.5 improves stability and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.makemkv.com/download/

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

1Password for Mac 7.9.1 adds support for macOS Monterey, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/mac/

1Password for Windows 7.9.828 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/windows/

AccessEnum 1.33 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/accessenum

Autoruns 14.06 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

BatteryInfoView 1.25 updates tray tooltip to display information on multiple batteries. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/battery_information_view.html

Bitwarden 1.28.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://bitwarden.com/

CacheSet 1.01 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/cacheset

Contig 1.81 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/contig

ControlMyMonitor 1.30 improves error handling. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/control_my_monitor.html

CPU-Z 1.98 adds support for newer hardware. This is not a security update.
https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

Cygwin 3.3.1 resolves a compatibility bug. This is not a security update.
https://cygwin.com/

DesktopOK 9.31 adds option to customize DPI values. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

Desktops 2.01 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/desktops

Disk2vhd 2.02 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/disk2vhd

DiskMon 2.02 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/diskmon

dnGrep 2.9.428.0 resolves cancel bug, .gitignore filtering, theme improvements, and PDF association. This is not a security update.
https://dngrep.github.io/

EFSDump 1.03 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/efsdump

Everything Toolbar 0.7.3 adds option to enable or disable thumbnails and hotkey handling. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/stnkl/EverythingToolbar/

Git SCM 2.33.1 improves compatibility and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://git-scm.com/

GoodSync 11.9.3 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

Homedale 2.00 adds new column for Station Count. This is not a security update.
https://www.the-sz.com/products/homedale/

HWMonitor 1.45 adds support for new hardware and disk read/write speeds. This is not a security update.
https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

Java 8u311 is a security update.
https://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

LessMSI 1.10.0 adds support for MSP files, MSI Stream names and resolves a cache bug. This is not a security update.
https://lessmsi.activescott.com/

LoadOrder 1.02 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/loadorder

NTLite 2.3.1.8454 adds new components, settings, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

Aomei Partition Assistant 9.5.0 adds SMART health checks and improves update behavior. This is not a security update.
https://www.diskpart.com/

PointerStick 5.55 updates languages. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/PointerStick

PowerToys 0.49.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

ProcessMonitor 3.86 updates icons. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon

PsShutdown 2.53 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/psshutdown

RegJump 1.11 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/regjump

RoboForm 9.2.1 improves compatibility, import, sync performance, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.roboform.com/

Rufus 3.17 resolves several bugs and updates libraries. This should be treated as a security update.
https://rufus.ie/en_US/

ShareEnum 1.61 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/shareenum

ShellRunas 1.02 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/shellrunas

SimpleWMIView 1.46 adds error handling and improves high-DPI support. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/simple_wmi_view.html

Sysmon 13.30 resolves several bugs, improves stability, and adds user fields for events. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sysmon

TCPView 4.16 updates icons. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/tcpview

WinObj 3.13 updates icons. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/tcpview

Windows 11 RCT 1.3.1 improves detection of CPU features and updates languages. This is not a security update.
https://bytejams.com/

WinScan2PDF 7.44 improves hardware compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/WinScan2PDF

WizTree 4.04 adds support for mobile devices and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.diskanalyzer.com/

ZoomText 2021.2111.2.400 resolves compatibility bugs. This is not a security update.
https://support.freedomscientific.com/Downloads/ZoomText

ZoomText 2022.2110.47.400 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://support.freedomscientific.com/Downloads/ZoomText

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Godot 3.4 improves user interface, input handling, adds large file support, frame delta smoothing, and dozens of other features. This is not a security update.
https://godotengine.org/

MySQL ConnectorNet 8.0.27 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/net/

Node.js 16.13.0 updates libraries, resolves several bugs and is promoted to LTS. This is not a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 17.0.1 is a new major version adding OpenSSL 3.0 support, updates libraries,
https://nodejs.org/en/

Visual Studio Code 1.62 resolves over 4000 issues and adds vscode.dev beta. This should be treated as a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

WinMerge 2.16.16 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://winmerge.org/

Virtual Machine Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

PPSSPP 1.12.3 resolves a gamepad bunding bug. This is not a security update.
https://ppsspp.org/downloads.html

VirtualBox 6.1.28 resolves almost two dozen bugs. This should be treated as a security update.
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Web Package Updates

These are likely to be of interest only to web developers.

Dada Mail 11.17.1 resolves several bugs and improves the GUI. This is not a security update.
https://dadamailproject.com/

Docker Desktop 4.2.0 adds pause/resume, windows management, updates libraries, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Drupal 9.2.8 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

HumHub 1.9.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.humhub.com/en/download

MailArchiva 8.3.14 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://mailarchiva.com/

OpenPetra 2021.10 resolves several bugs and improves automation. This is not a security update.
https://www.openpetra.org/

ownCloud Client 2.9.1.5500 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://owncloud.com/desktop-app/

Piwigo 12.0.0 improves sorting, performance, maintenance, and adds bulk actions and logging. This is not a security update.
https://piwigo.org/

Contact Form 7 5.5.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/contact-form-7/

Social Post Feed 4.0.3 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This should be treated as a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/custom-facebook-feed/

Email Log 2.4.8 is a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/email-log/

Visual Composer 40.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://visualcomposer.com/

W3 Total Cache 2.1.9 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/w3-total-cache/

WooCommerce 5.9.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/woocommerce/

WordPress Zero Spam 5.1.5 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/zero-spam/

That’s all for now folks. Keep it clean out there. 😉

Regards,

Shawn K. Hall
https://SaferPC.info/
https://12PointDesign.com/

Updates 2021-10-12

Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for October, 2021.

This month we’ve got the new Microsoft Office, Windows 11, iOS 15, iPhone 13, and Windows Server 2022…so far. A new build of Windows 10 is still on the horizon, and a security update for Java is slated for next week. That said, Patch Tuesday this month is very large. The typical computer should see roughly 2.3 GB in updates today.

This Month in Technology

Amnesty InternationalAjarnApple AirTag, Apple Game CenterAzure DevOpsBanco PichinchaBank of AmericaBitcoin.orgBrewDog, the Canadian Vaccine Passport systemCanopy Parental ControlCoinbaseCompoundCox Media GroupCrystal ValleyDahua cams, various DVR devicesElastic StackFantasy Football HubGiant GroupForward AirHorizon HouseHuawei Cloud, various IT companiesJVCKenwoodMarketronMedtronic insulin pump controllers, Microsoft Windows Platform Binary TableMoneyLionNeiman MarcusNEW CooperativeOlympus USPacific City BankPlaybookPort of HoustonSandhills GlobalSimon Eye Management90% of the supply chainSyniverseThe TelegraphTwitch (there’s a lot of information out there about this Amazon property hack), United Health Centers, the US Navy, various aerospace and telco firms, various Apache Airflow servers, various Apache services, various Confluence servers, various hotels, various healthcare facilities, various real estate organizations, various University Wi-Fi networks, various VMware ESXi serversVertafore, and Weir Group.

The assets and financial information of 35 world leaders have been exposed in the Pandora Papers.

A Microsoft Azure customerBandwidth.com, and VoIP.ms have been struck by major denial of service attacks.

How serious are the privacy risks of RFID? The US military is using RFID to track their guns. This results in the ability to track (and target) those carrying the weapons.

How serious is ransomware? Another child has died as a result of equipment that was disabled during an attack.

The Google idle detection API can be used to abuse you only when it knows you’re not looking. For a company whose slogan was “don’t be evil,” and that has the highest paid programmers in the world, between idle detection and FLoC, they’re really proving to either not be able to anticipate the potential risks or they simply don’t care.

Firefox is now injecting ads into the address bar. Apple Pay allows hackers to take your money from your locked iPhonePhishing messages posing as Verizon are using mathematical symbols to evade detection. Intuit is warning users of phishing attacks targeting QuickBooks users. Popular projects on public repositories remain high profile targets. If you can’t trust the hacker you bought your exploit kit from, who can you trust? Sigh.

The biggest outage this month was the Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Oculus, and WhatsApp that has lead to millions of users abandoning FacebookTrello has had a couple outages, too.

Microsoft is planning to randomly disable access to their customers to see if they’re using their services. Personally, I would just check the logs.

Microsoft 365 broke MFA again, locking users out of their accounts. And a bug in their Exchange Autodiscover implementation has leaked over a 100,000 credentials. A newly discovered UEFI bootkit has been backdooring Windows devices for almost a decade.

Google, the same company that warned of the risks of compromise through 2FA (as have many others), will be forcing 150 million accounts to use 2FA.
This is the same company that accidentally sent thousands of past due messages to their users last month. Their Android operating system is very privacy-averse, too.

A new ransomware strain doesn’t even both encrypting your files anymore, simply collecting a copy of your data and using the threat of release to extort their users.

If you’re still using a landline phone it’s probably because you don’t like change. Get ready, change is coming anyway. In order to more easily assist those having a mental health crisis, the FCC is going to require you to use full 1+10-digit dialing
when making any calls on a landline and 10-digit dialing from most mobile phones starting in late October. The intent is to make dialing a 3-digit number possible for the suicide hotline (988).

PG&E has been charged with causing yet another wildfire.

Now for the good news:

For what it’s worth, robocalls are now illegal.

Even the majority of IT professionals think patching is too hard. Don’t do it yourself, let me.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Windows 11 is out. Even if your hardware supports it, don’t install it yet. Consider it in the “open beta” phase. The new build of macOS (12.0 / Monterey) should be released sometime soon, too. The same goes for that: consider it a beta for at least the first couple months.

Patch Tuesday this month is very large. The typical computer should see roughly 2.9 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates for Windows, Edge, .NET, Servicing Stack, Internet Explorer, and MSRT (~2.3 GB). This includes updates for Windows Server 2008. This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Apple released updates for watchOS 8.0.1, iOS 12.5.5, iOS 15.0.2, iPadOS 15.0.2, and Security Update 2021-006 Catalina. This includes security updates. Use Apple Software Update to install these updates. A reboot is required.

iOS 15.0.2 and 12.5.5 are security updates. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

iPadOS 15.0.2 are security updates. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

watchOS 8.0.1 are security updates. Use the Watch app on your iPhone to install the most current version.

Google Chrome OS 93.0.4577.95 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version. A reboot is required.

Don’t forget to check your mobile devices, too! Many updates will also apply to your tablet, phone, kindle or television – so check your device-appropriate App Store and install updates.

Important Notes

Everything above this section should be checked by everyone on every computer. Chances are good that close to every single computer you touch will be affected by those updates. This is not the case with the items below, though you should still check each line item below to see if it applies to software you have installed.

The release of macOS Big Sur (11.x) means that macOS High Sierra (10.13) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS Mojave (10.14) on your Mac then you should immediately remove it from the Internet and use it offline only. It will no longer receive patches or updates and can now no longer be secured.

The now-current release of the Windows 10 (v21H1) is very large, for the first time it’s actually smaller than the previous release, but it will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 months and only supports any consumer builds for 18 months. If you don’t let it finish and you’re on a slow connection, this process kill your Internet performance forever. If you don’t have the bandwidth to download the bits, I’m happy to provide loaner USB drives to our local clients, or, if you prefer to have me mail it to you please contact me for information.

Please remember that while I list many different applications within these updates, most people should ONLY install updates for a program if they already have a previous version of that program installed.

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need or use, reducing the attack surface. This includes “free” applications like Avast, OpenOffice, and games you do not actually play.

Also note that using the applications own “check for updates” function, when available, will best preserve your current settings, and often avoid any crapware that might come with a fresh installer. Use this option if it’s available to you.

Finally, if you’re sick of doing this all yourself, let me! Call or email me any time, and we can set you up with subscription SaferPC updates which will be installed each month whenever necessary. Click, call or email for more details:
https://saferpc.info/updates/
209-565-12PD
shawn@12pointdesign.com

Driver Updates

If you’re using this hardware – these updates are for you.

Display Driver Uninstaller 18.0.4.4 adds support for Windows 11 and improves cleanup. This is not a security update.
https://www.wagnardsoft.com/display-driver-uninstaller-ddu

HP LaserJet Stub 13.4.8 doesn’t provide a detailed changelog so should be considered a security update.
https://123.hp.com/us/en/devices/LASERJET

MS Mouse and Keyboard Center 14 adds support for newer hardware, Spotlight and improves Smart Switch. This is not a security update.
https://www.microsoft.com/accessories/en-us/downloads/mouse-keyboard-center

Xerox Smart Start 1.6.26.0 doesn’t provide a detailed changelog so should be considered a security update.
https://www.support.xerox.com/en-us/content/143617

Browser Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Brave 1.30.89 is a security update.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 94.0.4606.81 is a security update.
https://www.google.com/chrome/

Microsoft Edge 94.0.992.47 is a security update.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 93.0 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Firefox ESR 78.15.0 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/

SeaMonkey 2.53.9.1 is a security update.
https://www.seamonkey-project.org/

Vivaldi 4.3.2439.44 is a security update.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

OutlookAttachView 3.43 adds hi-DPI support and improves sorting behavior. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/outlook_attachment.html

Thunderbird 91.2.0 is a security update.
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

Internet Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Telegram 3.1.8 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://telegram.org/

curl 7.79.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://curl.haxx.se/windows/

Dropbox 132.4.3800 does not provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

FileZilla Client 3.56.0 is a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

Omada Software Controller 4.4.6 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/omada-software-controller/

Rclone 1.56.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://rclone.org/

Syncthing 1.18.3 improves reliability and resolves a cosmetic bug. This should be treated as a security update.
https://syncthing.net/

Technitium DNS Server 7.0 is a major update to the API and Apps feature, each of the Apps, adds several more Apps, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://technitium.com/dns/

WGet 1.21.2 is a security update.
https://eternallybored.org/misc/wget/

WinSCP 5.19.3 is a security update.
https://winscp.net/eng/index.php

Zoom 5.8.1.1435 is a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

iTunes 12.12.1.1 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Picard 2.6.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://picard.musicbrainz.org/

Plex Desktop 1.35.1.2632 corrects a couple minor bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-app

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

PlayStation PS5 21.02-04.02.00 improves performance. This is not a security update.
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps5/system-software/

Steam 2021.10.07 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.steampowered.com/platform/update_history/index.php?skin=0&id=0

Office Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Artweaver 7.0.10 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.artweaver.de/

Audacity 3.0.5 resolves bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.audacityteam.org/download/

Blender 2.93.5 doesn’t provide a detailed changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.blender.org/download/

LibreOffice Fresh 7.2.1 resolves over 80 bugs. This is not a security update. The “Fresh” line is beta software and should be avoided in favor of the “Still” line.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

LibreOffice Still 7.1.6 resolves over 40 bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Nextcloud Desktop 3.3.5 improves security. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Notepad++ 8.1.5 adds date insertion and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

OpenOffice 4.1.11 is a security update.
https://www.openoffice.org/download/

Adobe Reader DC 21.007.20099 is a security update.
https://get.adobe.com/reader

Adobe Acrobat DC 21.007.20099 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb21-104.html

Adobe Connect 11.2.3 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/connect/apsb21-91.html

Adobe Reader Mobile 21.9.0 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/reader-mobile/apsb21-89.html

Adobe ops-cli 2.0.5 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/ops_cli/apsb21-88.html

Adobe Commerce 2.4.3-p1 and 2.3.7-p2 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/magento/apsb21-86.html

Adobe Campaign 21.3.1 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/campaign/apsb21-52.html

Security Software Updates

One or more of these is likely to be of interest to most people.

PureOS 10.0 is a security update.
https://pureos.net/download/

Tails 4.23 is a security update.
https://tails.boum.org/install/dvd-download/index.en.html

OnionShare 2.4 is a security update.
https://onionshare.org/

RogueKiller 15.1.1 is a security update.
https://www.adlice.com/download/roguekiller/

TinyWall 3.1.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://tinywall.pados.hu/

uBlock Origin 1.38.4 resolves Twitch filtering and important filters. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/latest

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ScreenToGif 2.34 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/NickeManarin/ScreenToGif/releases/latest

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

HandBrake 1.4.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://handbrake.fr/

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

1Password for Mac 7.9 adds the ability to “securely” share a link with others. This is not a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/mac/

1Password for Windows 7.9.822 adds the ability to “securely” share a link with others. This is not a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/windows/

Autoruns 14.03 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

Bitwarden 1.28.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://bitwarden.com/

ControlMyMonitor 1.29 adds the ability to set font options. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/control_my_monitor.html

dnGrep 2.9.400.0 improves bookmarks and adds option to hide missing files in Everything search. This is not a security update.
https://dngrep.github.io/

Etcher 1.6.0 adds basic auth support and updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Everything CLI 1.1.0.20 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.voidtools.com/

Fido 1.26 adds Windows 11 downloads. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/pbatard/Fido/releases

Fing 2.7.0 adds user-presence tracking, improves the security tab, and updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://www.fing.com/products/fing-desktop-download-windows

GoodSync 11.8.6 resolves several bugs, updates certificates and libraries. This is not a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

Homedale 1.99 resolves a privacy bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.the-sz.com/products/homedale/

NTLite 2.3.0.8394 updates libraries and assignment options. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

Aomei Partition Assistant 9.4.1 adds Windows 11 compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.diskpart.com/

PowerToys 0.47.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

Process Monitor 3.85 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon

Samsung Magician 7.0.0 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/tools/

TCPView 4.15 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/tcpview

TeamViewer 15.22.3 improves chat notification and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.teamviewer.com/en-us/download/windows/

WhyNotWin11 2.4.2.1 improves compatibility and accuracy. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/rcmaehl/WhyNotWin11

Windows 11 RCT 1.2.1 updates libraries and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://bytejams.com/

WinGet 1.1.12653 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli/releases/latest

WizTree 4.03 improves reliability, and improves details when loading exports. This is not a security update.
https://www.diskanalyzer.com/

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Godot 3.3.4 resolves over a dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://godotengine.org/

Node.js 12.22.7 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 14.18.1 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 16.11.1 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Visual Studio Code 1.61 adds split views, improved locking, new decorations, improved pair guides and more. This is not a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

Virtual Machine Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

PPSSPP 1.12.2 adds support for Android 12, scoped storage, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://ppsspp.org/downloads.html

Web Package Updates

These are likely to be of interest only to web developers.

Coppermine Gallery 1.6.15 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://coppermine-gallery.net/

Dada Mail 11.16.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://dadamailproject.com/

Docker Desktop 4.1.1 improves compatibility and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Drupal 9.2.7 resolves over a dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

MailArchiva 8.3.2 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://mailarchiva.com/

Nextcloud Server 22.2.0 updates libraries and resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

phpList 3.6.5 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.phplist.org/

ScreenConnect 21.13.5058.7951 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.connectwise.com/software/control/download

Slider Revolution 6.5.9 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://revolution.themepunch.com/

Akismet 4.2.1 resolves an AMP validation bug. This is not a security update.

Contact Form 7 5.5.1 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.

NextScripts Social Networks Auto-Poster 4.3.23 is a security update.

Sucuri Security 1.8.30 is now a non-GoDaddy project. This is not a security update.

Visual Composer 39.1 resolves a cosmetic bug. This is not a security update.
https://visualcomposer.com/

WooCommerce 5.7.1 reverts a path change bug. This is not a security update.

WP Mail SMTP 3.1.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

That’s all for now folks. Keep it clean out there. 😉

Regards,

Shawn K. Hall
https://SaferPC.info/
https://12PointDesign.com/

 

Updates 2021-09-14

Welcome back, Folks!

This is for Patch Tuesday for September, 2021.

I’m running late with the newsletter this month. I needed to focus on our clients since there was simply so much to do. In the typical month we usually see 85-90 updated applications (some several times). This month there have been over 160. An increase in application release frequency is typical when other major software releases are impending, and the next month will bring Windows 11, iOS 15, a new build of Windows 10, a new version of Microsoft Office, iPhone 13, and Windows Server 2022.

This Month in Technology

AccentureApple devices, and Apple iCloudAT&T (more than once), various airline and IAB staffBangkok AirwaysBanksyBeaumont HealthBlackbaud (more information about a previous hack), Boston Public LibraryBrooklyn Technical High SchoolCampbell Conroy & O’Neil, P.C., Chase Bank, thousands of Coinbase accountsComcast/Xfinity remotes29% increase in attacks targeting the education sector, Cream FinanceDallas Police DepartmentDallas School DistrictDesert Wells Family MedicineDuPage Medical GroupEpikEskyFunFordForHousing and Liberty, over 80,000 Fortinet FortiGate VPN devices, Fortinet FortiWebFortress Home Security, the French Visa ProgramGuntrader (including data of over 100,000 UK gunowners), Howard UniversityHP Omen HubIndiana Department of Health (Contact Tracing System), ImavexEvin (Iranian Prison), JenkinsJohn Deere, JP Morgan Chase, over 1,200 K-12 schoolsKaseya UnitrendsLithuanian Ministry of Foreign AffairsMarketron60,000 domains with MarkMonitorMcDonald’sMemorial Health SystemMicrosoft Power Apps (38 million records!), MikroTik routersMyRepublicNEW Cooperative, a NY Credit UnionOlympusParallels DesktopPeterborough, New HampshireRazer mouse driver (and pretty much all other drivers), Republican Governors AssociationRevere HealthSAC WirelessSonic, various NAS drivesPayPal is sharing user data and transactions with the ADL, pNetworkRazorPayvarious routers from over a dozen vendors, various Russian phonesSouth Africa’s Department of JusticeSpotify data leak, Syracuse UniversityT-MobileTexas GOPTokio Marine, the United NationsUPS, the US Census, the US State Department, hundreds of US financial systems, almost half of all US hospitals, dozens of US government websites, the US Terrorist Screening CenterValveWalgreens, the WordPress Gutenberg Template Library Plugin, and Zoho ManageEngine have been hacked this month.

I separated the Microsoft-specific hacks this month mostly to shame them. The month they claim that “the cloud” is more secure they should absolutely have their noses rubbed in it. Microsoft suffered from yet another nasty, epic, world-wide Exchange attack, but defended their own hosted product by claiming “Microsoft’s Office 365 wasn’t swept up in the breach because it runs in the cloud, which offers more protection,” even though only hours later a critical vulnerability in Microsoft’s Azure Cosmos DB service was confirmed — one of the largest cloud hacks of all time, affecting thousands of service providers. The vulnerability existed for months, so there’s simply no way to know if your accounts were compromised or if permanent access to any victim’s Microsoft Azure services occurred months prior, and Microsoft patched it only two weeks before making the claim above that “the cloud…offers more protection.” As if hammering the point home, yet another series of vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Azure cloud services were discovered this week which expose millions more endpoints, with thousands already infected. Microsoft’s 365 Cloud PCIIS, Microsoft Teams event data, WSL, and MSHTML used by Microsoft Office have all been hacked this month. Microsoft’s PrintNightmare still isn’t over. In fact, the “fix” breaks printing and printer installation on at least 5% of computers. To top it all off, with all of these incidents they are removing features and they still feel their software is worth a 20% price increase based on the improved security and reliability of their products. Sigh.

The Ragnarok ransomware gang has released a master decryption key. So has REvil (accidentally).

The US Senate is working to make encryption meaningless. Facebook is, too. And Facebook just got slapped by the German Supreme Court for violating free speech rights in Germany. Hypocrisy is their codeword. Facebook actually hid their transparency report. That kinda says it all, doesn’t it? If not, then Apple “considering” removing Facebook for their ties to human trafficking should at least raise an eyebrow. Really, the question should be, why didn’t they? Google geofence warrants are up 1,167%.

Anyone can post a job for any company on LinkedIn. A new fake Captcha tricks the user into keeping malware. ProtonMail, once a beacon of hope for privacy advocates, has shared IP addresses and device information of a user in violation of their own privacy assertions.

Dogfooding is usually a good thing. Not always.

On hardware – GPU-level malware is a thing. Hacking strict hardware security through a silly design flaw. ASUS has made a few serious mistakes with their $2,000 GeForce RTX graphics cards. If you ever wondered why you shouldn’t borrow someone’s charging cable or wall wart, wonder no more. Samsung has acknowledged that they can disable any Samsung TV using a “feature” (read: backdoor) installed on all their televisions. Do you think they limited this “feature” to their TVs?

Apple is still pushing their Jedi Mind Tricks. They want you to use your phone as your ID, but a recent iOS update even broke the “phone” part of iPhones. Why would anyone trust their identity to their phones?

The Epic v Apple case finally has a ruling. One of the two most significant issues, that Apple forbade any payments not through the App Store, was (rightly) ruled illegal. All other counts were dismissed. It’s being appealed, of course. This could cost Apple a huge chunk of a $20+ billion pie. There are some great reads from discovery. South Korea has passed a new law with similar implicationsEpic v Google is really shaping up.

Be careful how you treat your employees – they might turn out to be the “evil insider” for a ransomware gang.

If you’re a government employee and the scope of your abuse was just to use your boss’s computer then you’re really thinking small potatoes.

Oh, and don’t photograph the moon. You might get sued by UMG.

All technology carries risk, but Wi-Fi is probably the most significant risk to your privacy.

Microsoft broke OneDrive for Business, has some major issues with Outlook 365 right now, and VoIP.ms has been extorted by a DDoS attack.

Apple has dropped it’s lawsuit against Corellium over virtual iPhones, lost their Optis trial, and settled with small developers who publish on the App Store, but it still in bed with Big Brother. The US is pushing a bill right now to prevent App Stores from being the sole source of apps and content for their platforms and the EU is pushing for a minimum of seven years of hardware support.

There is no Section 230 in Australia…and it shows. Until social media companies are slapped by the Supreme Court, they will continue to get away with acting on behalf of government while claiming to be independent.

Since nobody is working “full time” anyway, they’re planning to force employers to cut their hours even more.

A federal court has ruled that the HHS can not force doctors to perform transgender surgeries or abortions. If you were concerned about the damage someone might do to your wedding cake, why would you want them holding a scalpel between your legs?

When the MSM has to resort to blatant lies to support their position and the people eat it up you have to acknowledge that they’re the enemy of honesty. The only real pandemic is a curious series of deaths only affecting those leaders opposed to mandates and ignoring the blatantly obvious data. This isn’t the first time. Sadly, absolute fraud passes for science today. There really are proven treatments available.

The science behind face masks demonstrates that this has never been an honest conversation. Instead, politicized (and ineffective) tests and treatments are more lethal
than the disease. Those required to do so are failing or simply refusing to report injuries (does this mean they lose protection under NVICP?) and the events that are reported still resemble a certain climate change “hockey stick.” They’re maliciously and negligently ignoring the dataactual health and safety concernscommitting fraud, and cherry-picking sources so they can make tiktok videos. They’re intentionally falsifying data to coerce and terrorize the publicGeorge Orwell would be proud. The spews media, and by extension, their loyal vidiots, aren’t interested in the truth. They mindlessly supportJab Crow,” racism, rape, tyranny, dehumanizing people, and sweep the scandals under the rug with their massive propaganda machine.

If they were honest and their goals were actually in line with reality, then isolation and replication would be required *before* the creation of a cure, but they’re still pushing tests that can’t distinguish Coronavirus from Influenza. The “vaccines” intentionally, permanently alter your DNA. Claims of effectiveness have repeatedly been disproven, as have their false claims of FDA licenseapproval.” So they push illegal mandates that aren’t intended to protect your health, even going so far as to ban students from online classesPoliticians ignoring mathematics isn’t really anything new. Especially when there’s animportantagendaIt’s time for a human rights commission for war crimes over this bio weapon. After all, more servicemembers have died from the vaccines than the disease.

The anti-privacy passports are not designed to prove you’re immune. They’re not designed to prove you’re not a carrier.

Whether there’s sufficient evidence to determine the cause of any deaths over the last 18 months, one thing is sure: Science no longer has any validity.

At least some regions are waking up to the insanity of a group of super-governmental multi-national corporations with total immunity from any and all liability. Or elseIt’s time to opt out.

The FBI admits no one (else!) orchestrated the Jan 6 protest. Nevertheless, it was, according to “experts,” the darkest day in American history. (And they don’t mean the subsequent human rights violations.) Odd that the same agenda is unfolding through Big Pharma.

A real President doesn’t abandon their people, or commit war crimes when they’re embarrassed, the Speaker shouldn’t be silencing the names of those who died on their watch, and the FCC, the FDA, OSHA, and other government agencies should actually study what they approve. Companies that only answer to consumers do.

Only after the last year of humans treating other humans as trash, and validating it by dumbing down the rest, could a flight attendant say, matter-of-factly, that “we don’t follow federal law” and expect her victim to just roll over and comply.

It makes perfect sense, then, that the Constitution and Declaration of Independence would be labeled “harmful content” by the National Archives. Not to be outdone, the UK – once the standard to measure an open press – will now punish reporters who “embarrass” the government with up to 14 years in prison.

Now for the good news:

Inexpensive batteries are on the horizon and Starlink satellites are being fitted with lasers.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Patch Tuesday this month is huge. The typical computer should see roughly 3.5 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates for Windows, Edge, .NET, Servicing Stack, Internet Explorer, and MSRT (~2.5 GB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Apple released updates for iOS 15 and 14.8, iPadOS 15 and 14.8, tvOS 15, macOS Big Sur 11.6, watchOS 8 and 7.6.2, Safari 15, Safari 14.1.2, Xcode 13, iTunes 12.12 for Windows and Security Update 2021-005 Catalina. This includes security updates. Use Apple Software Update to install these updates. A reboot is required.

iOS 15 and 14.8 are security updates. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

iPadOS 15 and 14.8 are security updates. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

watchOS 8 and 7.6.2 are security updates. Use the Watch app on your iPhone to install the most current version.

tvOS 15 is a security update. Use System, Software Update to install the most current version.

Google Chrome OS 93.0.4577.63 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version. A reboot is required.

Don’t forget to check your mobile devices, too! Many updates will also apply to your tablet, phone, kindle or television – so check your device-appropriate App Store and install updates.

Important Notes

Everything above this section should be checked by everyone on every computer. Chances are good that close to every single computer you touch will be affected by those updates. This is not the case with the items below, though you should still check each line item below to see if it applies to software you have installed.

The release of macOS Big Sur (11.x) means that macOS High Sierra (10.13) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS Mojave (10.14) on your Mac then you should immediately remove it from the Internet and use it offline only. It will no longer receive patches or updates and can now no longer be secured.

The now-current release of the Windows 10 (v21H1) is very large, for the first time it’s actually smaller than the previous release, but it will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 months and only supports any consumer builds for 18 months. If you don’t let it finish and you’re on a slow connection, this process kill your Internet performance forever. If you don’t have the bandwidth to download the bits, I’m happy to provide loaner USB drives to our local clients, or, if you prefer to have me mail it to you please contact me for information.

Please remember that while I list many different applications within these updates, most people should ONLY install updates for a program if they already have a previous version of that program installed.

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need or use, reducing the attack surface. This includes “free” applications like Avast, OpenOffice, and games you do not actually play.

Also note that using the applications own “check for updates” function, when available, will best preserve your current settings, and often avoid any crapware that might come with a fresh installer. Use this option if it’s available to you.

Finally, if you’re sick of doing this all yourself, let me! Call or email me any time, and we can set you up with subscription SaferPC updates which will be installed each month whenever necessary. Click, call or email for more details:
https://saferpc.info/updates/
209-565-12PD
shawn@12pointdesign.com

Driver Updates

If you’re using this hardware – these updates are for you.

Citizen Driver 2021.1 doesn’t provide a detailed changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.seagullscientific.com/support/downloads/drivers/citizen/download/

Display Driver Uninstaller 18.0.4.3 improves removal. This is not a security update.
https://www.wagnardsoft.com/display-driver-uninstaller-ddu

HP Laserjet Stub 13.3.3 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://123.hp.com/us/en/devices/LASERJET

Nvidia 472.12 adds support for Windows 11, CUDA 11.4, and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Browser Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Brave 1.29.81 adds more advertising, improves IPFS support, resolves several crashes and other bugs. This is not a security update.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 94.0.4606.54 is a security update.
https://www.google.com/chrome/

Microsoft Edge 93.0.961.52 is a security update.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 92.0 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Firefox ESR 78.14.0 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/

Vivaldi 4.2.2406.48 is a security update.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Mailspring 1.9.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://getmailspring.com/

Thunderbird 91.1.1 is a security update.
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

Internet Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Skype 8.75.0.140 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.skype.com/

Telegram 3.1.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://telegram.org/

Trillian 6.5.0.17 updates libraries and resolves upload bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.trillian.im/

AnyDesk 6.3.3 improves connection reliability. This is not a security update.
https://anydesk.com/en/downloads

AnyDesk (macOS) 6.3.2 adds a URL handler and adds a warning for permissions. This is not a security update.
https://anydesk.com/en/downloads

aria2 1.36.0 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://aria2.github.io/

BrowsingHistoryView 2.50 improves menu sorting behavior. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/browsing_history_view.html

curl 7.79.0 is a security update.
https://curl.haxx.se/windows/

DNSDataView 1.61 resolves an international compatibility bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/dns_records_viewer.html

Dropbox 130.4.4978 doesn’t provide a changelog, so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

FileZilla Server 1.0.1 (wow! I honestly thought they’d never release a major version) adds ACME Let’s Encrypt support, logging improvements, library updates and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

FreeFileSync 11.14 adds OpenSSL 3.0 support, resolves several bugs, adds ability to manage filter settings, and improves cross-platform compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.freefilesync.org/download.php

Google Drive 51.0 improves reliability and stability. This is not a security update.
https://drive.google.com/start

Npcap 1.55 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nmap.org/npcap/

Omada Software Controller 4.4.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/omada-software-controller/

Rclone 1.56.1 improves reliability and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://rclone.org/

Technitium DNS Server 6.4.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://technitium.com/dns/

Zoom 5.7.8.1247 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

darktable 3.6.1 improves hardware support and resolves over a dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.darktable.org/install/

Flickr Downloadr 3.4.3.1 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://flickrdownloadr.com/downloads/

iTunes 12.12.0.6 is a security update. Use Apple Software Update to install the most current version.
https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

MediaMonkey 5.0.3 resolves a duplication bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.mediamonkey.com/windows#download

Plex Home Theater 1.5.1.2629 updates libraries, improves hardware support, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-app

Plex Media Server 1.24.3.5033 adds support for new hardware, updates libraries, resolves stability and reliability bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-media-server

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Steam 2021.09.20 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.steampowered.com/platform/update_history/index.php?skin=0&id=0

Nintendo Switch 13.0.0 adds Bluetooth Audio, the ability to install Dock updates, and preserve the Internet connection in sleep mode. This is not a security update.
https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22525/kw/system%20updates/p/989

PlayStation PS5 21.02-04.00.00 adds M.2 SSD expansion support, 3D audio, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps5/system-software/

Office Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Audacity 3.0.4 resolves a stability bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.audacityteam.org/download/

Blender 2.93.4 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.blender.org/download/

Gimp 2.10.28 is a major update ported to GEGL, adds multithreading, GPU-side processing, hi-DPI support, and improved user interface, selection tools and more. This is not a security update.
https://www.gimp.org/

IcoFX 3.6.1 resolves a startup bug. This is not a security update.
https://icofx.ro/

Krita 4.4.8 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://krita.org/en/download/krita-desktop/

LibreOffice Fresh 7.2.1 resolves over 400 bugs. This is a security update. The “Fresh” line is beta software, and should be avoided in favor of the “Still” version for most users.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

LibreOffice Still 7.1.6 resolves 44 bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Nextcloud Desktop 3.3.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Notepad++ 8.1.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Adobe XMP Toolkit SDK 2021.08 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/xmpcore/apsb21-85.html

Adobe Photoshop 21.2.12 and 22.5.1 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/photoshop/apsb21-84.html

Adobe Experience Manager 6.5.10.0 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/experience-manager/apsb21-82.html

Adobe Genuine Service 7.4 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/integrity_service/apsb21-81.html

Adobe Digital Editions 4.5.11.187658 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/Digital-Editions/apsb21-80.html

Adobe Premiere Elements 20210809.daily.2242976 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/premiere_elements/apsb21-78.html

Adobe Photoshop Elements 20210811.m.158081 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/photoshop_elements/apsb21-77.html

AdobeCreative Cloud Desktop Application 5.5 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/creative-cloud/apsb21-76.html

Adobe ColdFusion 2018.12 and 2021.2 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb21-75.html

Adobe Framemaker 2019.8 and 2020.3 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/framemaker/apsb21-74.html

Adobe InDesign 16.4 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/indesign/apsb21-73.html

Adobe SVG-Native-Viewer 20210914 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/svg-native-viewer/apsb21-72.html

Adobe InCopy 16.4 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/incopy/apsb21-71.html

Adobe Premiere Pro 15.4.1 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/premiere_pro/apsb21-67.html

Adobe Acrobat and Reader 2021.007.20091, 2020.004.30015, and 2017.011.30202 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb21-55.html

Security Software Updates

One or more of these is likely to be of interest to most people.

Tails 4.22 resolves several stability bugs with Tor. This is a security update.
https://tails.boum.org/install/dvd-download/index.en.html

BelArc Advisor 11.1 adds support for new software and operating systems. This is not a security update.
https://www.belarc.com/products_belarc_advisor

Hashcat 6.2.4 improves performance, adds hash modes, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
http://hashcat.net/hashcat/#downloadlatest

KeePass 2.49 improves accessibility, reliability, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://keepass.info/

OnionShare 2.3.3 adds dark mode, updates libraries, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://onionshare.org/

OpenSSL 1.1.1l and 3.0.0 are security updates.
https://curl.se/windows/
https://slproweb.com/products/Win32OpenSSL.html

RogueKiller 15.1.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.adlice.com/download/roguekiller/

uBlock Origin 1.38.0 adds Node.js support and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/latest

WebBrowserPassView 2.11 adds a new export/import option, Firefox CSV. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/web_browser_password.html

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Elgato Game Capture HD 3.70.55 adds Facecam support and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.elgato.com/en/game-capture-software

SnagIt 2021.4.4 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://download.techsmith.com/snagit/enu/snagit.exe

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

HandBrake 1.4.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://handbrake.fr/

PDF Creator 4.4 resolves several bugs, adds CS Script action, page numbers, and a couple more actions. This is not a security update.
https://www.pdfforge.org/pdfcreator

Education updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Zotero 5.0.96.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.zotero.org/

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

1Password for Mac 7.8.7 resolves dozens of bugs and compatibility issues. This is not a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/mac/

Autoruns 14.01 resolves a bug with VirusTotal and adds a dark theme. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

Beyond Compare 4.4.0.25886 adds support for TLS 1.3, improves SFTP and resolves several bugs. This should be treated as a security update.
https://www.scootersoftware.com/download.php?zz=dl4

Bitwarden 1.28.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://bitwarden.com/

CPU-Z Installer 1.97 adds support for new hardware. This is not a security update.
https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

DesktopOK 9.21 improves support for Windows 11 and resolves bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

dnGrep 2.9.378.0 adds several new features and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://dngrep.github.io/

Drive Snapshot 1.49 adds support for new operating systems and improves encryption. This should be treated as a security update.
http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/

Etcher 1.5.122 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Everything Toolbar 0.7.2 resolves a display bug. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/stnkl/EverythingToolbar/

Fido 1.24 adds UEFI Shell downloads and command line support. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/pbatard/Fido/releases

GoodSync 11.8.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

LessMSI 1.8.2 resolves a CAB parsing bug. This is not a security update.
https://lessmsi.activescott.com/

NTLite 2.3.0.8330 adds support for Windows 11 and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

osquery 5.0.1 adds several new tables and queries, updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://osquery.io/downloads

PowerToys 0.45.0 improves stability and resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

Process Monitor 3.84 adds dark theme. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon

Process Explorer 16.43 resolves a memory leak and other bugs. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

Synergy 1.14.1 resolves several bugs, improves reliability and adds new operating system support. This is not a security update.
https://symless.com/synergy/

Sysmon 13.24 improves stability and event handling. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sysmon

TCPView 4.14 adds dark theme. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/tcpview

TeamViewer 15.21.8 resolves a license warning bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.teamviewer.com/en-us/download/windows/

WhyNotWin11 2.4.1 improves compatibility detection. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/rcmaehl/WhyNotWin11

WifiChannelMonitor 1.70 adds 802.11ac monitoring mode. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_channel_monitor.html

WifiInfoView 2.71 improves internationalization. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html

Windows 11 RCT 1.1.0 improves compatibility detection. This is not a security update.
https://bytejams.com/

WinScan2PDF 7.31 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/WinScan2PDF

WizTree 4.03 is a massive update. This version adds zoom, improved search controls and organization, Explorer interaction and improved cosmetic controls. This is not a security update.
https://wiztreefree.com/

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

AutoHotkey 1.1.33.10 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.autohotkey.com/download/

Godot 3.3.3 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://godotengine.org/

Node.js v12 12.22.6 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js v14 14.17.6 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js v16 16.9.1 updates libraries, resolves several bugs, and improves error handling. This is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Unreal Engine 4.27 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://unrealengine.com/en-US/

Visual Studio Code 1.60 adds debug watch values, improves cosmetics, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

Web Package Updates

These are likely to be of interest only to web developers.

OpenCart 3.0.3.8 resolves an RTL bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.opencart.com/

Coppermine Gallery 1.6.13 is a security update.
https://coppermine-gallery.net/

Dada Mail 11.15.1 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://dadamailproject.com/

Docker Desktop 4.0.1 introduces the new licensing scheme, updates libraries, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Drupal 9.1.13 is a security update (the second in a week).
https://drupal.org/download

Drupal 9.2.5 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

MailArchiva 8.2.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://mailarchiva.com/

MailEnable 10.36 resolves several bugs, including a certificate assignment bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.mailenable.com/

Nextcloud Server 22.1.1 updates libraries and resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

ownCloud Client 2.9.0.5150 resolves several bugs and improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://owncloud.com/desktop-app/

ScreenConnect 21.12.4575.7914 adds several controls for compatibility and reporting, improves stability, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.connectwise.com/software/control/download

YOURLS 1.8.2 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://yourls.org/

WordPress 5.8.1 is a security update.
https://wordpress.org/

Akismet 4.1.12 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.

Autoptimize 2.9.2 improves compatibility and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

BuddyPress 9.1.1 is a security update.

Duplicator 1.4.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Postie 1.9.57 improves attachment handling. This is not a security update.

Show IDs 1.1.8 adds support for the latest WordPress. This is not a security update.

Slider Revolution 6.5.8 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://revolution.themepunch.com/

Social Post Feed 4.0 is a major update adding several new features. This is not a security update.

Sucuri Security 1.8.28 removes a warning. This is not a security update.

Visual Composer 38.1 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://visualcomposer.com/

W3 Total Cache 2.1.8 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

WooCommerce 5.7.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

That’s all for now folks. Keep it clean out there. 😉

Regards,

Shawn K. Hall
https://SaferPC.info/
https://12PointDesign.com/

Updates 2021-08-10

Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for August, 2021. It’s a big one. There have been a series of Apple, Microsoft, and various hardware vulnerabilities, as well as the quarterly Oracle updates that kept the industry hopping. Couple that with Black Hat 2021 last week, which kept reminding us how poorly those who design our technology have done and continue to do.

This Month in Technology

Apple devices via Pegasus, IOMobileFrameBuffer, and Wi-Fi namesAtlassianCharming Kitten (hacking group), Cloudstar, cdnjs, FortiNet FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer, HP (and Samsung and Xerox) printer driver, Illinois State Police, Linux via SequoiaPulse Connect Secure, SonicWall Secure VPN, Swisslog Healthcare’s Translogic PTSVMware ESXiWindows via a SAM security bug, Hello, PrintNightmare (x3+), and PetitPotam, and a new exploit method for wiretapping DNS.

Apple announced a new feature where they scan your content “only” for images of child exploitation provided by an unaccountable third-party, while they assure their customers’ “screeching voices” that they won’t allow governments to directly access the data or feed the database or algorithms (uh-huh), just remember that this is the same company that vowed to silence online dissent and already works with governments to expose their users’ activity. Oh, and they’re launching their own VPN service which they claim even they won’t know what you’re using it for. Wink, wink.

While I’m on the subject of VPNs, Windscribe (a “secure” VPN service) servers were seized and were discovered to not use encryption. Talk about a false promise of privacy!

Now let’s do security. If you still thought Avast (the “get hacked every year” anti-virus company) was worth anything, knowing that Norton (the “we’ll just run our own crypto mining software on your hardware and you can pay us for it” people) was in talks to buy them for about $8B should make your skin crawl. Zoom lost an $85 million class-action cybersecurity lawsuit, and Colonial Pipeline is being targeted now.

The US Federal Government received a C- grade for their IT security. Half of the agencies tested received D grades. These are the same agencies that recently made a claim about the most secure election in history. Pay no attention to the missing 95% of ballots or remote access to voting machines. Or else!

Edward Snowden has a great writeup of physical vs theoretical security concerns,
and another on how the “security” industry is failing everyone. Regular maintenance (of everything!) is critical to technology security. Stale hardware & software are responsible for nearly every security incident. This is what we do and why this newsletter is even being published.

There was a major outage at Akamai that took down a large portion of the Internet.

Google broke ChromeOS twice this month for many users, once by preventing users from being able to login due to a single character coding error. I’m reminded of a Mark Twain quote: “Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”

The thing about someone willing to buy your ransomware: when they feel wronged they’re likely to betray your ransomware gang.

Amazon is losing employees while CNN is firing them. Property owners are being ripped off by the state, and their tenants. There are child predators at Disney World.

There’s now a lawsuit over CDC under-counting vaccine deaths, meanwhile they’re over-counting infectionsignoring the risks, downplaying the ineffectiveness of the vaccine-induced herd immunity, and mandating cancer in children. Multiple pharmaceutical giants neglected to keep records of which “vaccines” were placebos and the European Parliament is being held liable for vaccine injuries and deaths. At least there has been victory in Alberta. It’s hard to take them seriously when they’re demonizing free will, treating dictates as law, government agencies are concealing their own violations of international lawmandating doctors violate their medical licenses in order to keep them, while flip-flopping like fish, and imposing prison time for unlawful parading. Would you trust someone with your life who thinks you should be in prison for disagreeing with them? It’s not enough for government to take 13%+ of what you pay at the pump (most gas stations profit is 1% or less) and force you into electric vehicles that they can pull the plug on anytime, they want to charge you for every mile you travel, too, personal or business.

Now for the good news:

Andy’s Mountain Grill & Deli is coming back! Starlink is growing fast and improving reliability and environmental tolerances.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Patch Tuesday this month is huge. The typical computer should see roughly 3.0 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates for Windows, Edge, .NET, Servicing Stack, Internet Explorer, and MSRT (~1.5 GB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Apple released updates for iOS 14.7.1 and iPadOS 14.7.1, macOS Big Sur 11.5.1, Security Update 2021-004 Catalina, Security Update 2021-005 Mojave, watchOS 7.6.1, tvOS 14.7, Safari 14.1.2, and iTunes 12.11.4. This includes security updates. Use Apple Software Update to install these updates. A reboot is required.

iOS 14.7.1 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

iPadOS 14.7.1 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

watchOS 7.6.1 is a security update. Use the Watch app on your iPhone to install the most current version.

tvOS 14.7 is a security update. Use System, Software Update to install the most current version.

Google Chrome OS 92.0.4515.130 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version. A reboot is required.

Don’t forget to check your mobile devices, too! Many updates will also apply to your tablet, phone, kindle or television – so check your device-appropriate App Store and install updates.

Important Notes

Everything above this section should be checked by everyone on every computer. Chances are good that close to every single computer you touch will be affected by those updates. This is not the case with the items below, though you should still check each line item below to see if it applies to software you have installed.

The release of macOS Big Sur (11.x) means that macOS High Sierra (10.13) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS Mojave (10.14) on your Mac then you should immediately remove it from the Internet and use it offline only. It will no longer receive patches or updates and can now no longer be secured.

The now-current release of the Windows 10 (v21H1) is very large, for the first time it’s actually smaller than the previous release, but it will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 months and only supports any consumer builds for 18 months. If you don’t let it finish and you’re on a slow connection, this process kill your Internet performance forever. If you don’t have the bandwidth to download the bits, I’m happy to provide loaner USB drives to our local clients, or, if you prefer to have me mail it to you please contact me for information.

Please remember that while I list many different applications within these updates, most people should ONLY install updates for a program if they already have a previous version of that program installed.

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need or use, reducing the attack surface. This includes “free” applications like Avast, OpenOffice, and games you do not actually play.

Also note that using the applications own “check for updates” function, when available, will best preserve your current settings, and often avoid any crapware that might come with a fresh installer. Use this option if it’s available to you.

Finally, if you’re sick of doing this all yourself, let me! Call or email me any time, and we can set you up with subscription SaferPC updates which will be installed each month whenever necessary. Click, call or email for more details:
https://saferpc.info/updates/
209-565-12PD
shawn@12pointdesign.com

Driver Updates

If you’re using this hardware – these updates are for you.

Nvidia 471.68 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Xerox Smart Start 1.6.25.0 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.support.xerox.com/en-us/content/143617

Browser Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

Brave 1.27.111 is a security update. Use Help, About to install the most current version.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 92.0.4515.131 is a security update. Use Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.google.com/chrome/

Microsoft Edge 92.0.902.67 is a security update. Use Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 91.0 is a security update. Use Help, Check for updates to install the most current version.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Firefox ESR 78.13.0 is a security update. Use Help, Check for updates to install the most current version.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/

SeaMonkey 2.53.8.1 is a security update.
https://www.seamonkey-project.org/

Vivaldi 4.1.2369.16 is a security update. Use Help, About to install the most current version.
https://vivaldi.com/

Internet Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to everyone.

AnyDesk for macOS 6.3.0 improves scam handling, adds PKG release, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://anydesk.com/en/downloads

curl 7.78.0 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://curl.haxx.se/windows/

Dropbox 128.4.2870 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

FileZilla Client 3.55.1 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

Google Earth 7.3.4 is a security update.
https://earth.google.com/

Java 8u301 is a security update.
https://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

Nmap 7.92 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nmap.org/

Prosody 0.11.10 is a security update.
https://prosody.im/download/start

PuTTY 0.76 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html

Rclone 1.56.0 adds many new features, improves compatibility, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://rclone.org/

Skype 8.73.0.124 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.skype.com/

Telegram 2.9.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://telegram.org/

WinSCP 5.19.2 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://winscp.net/eng/index.php

Zoom 5.7.4.804 improves notifications and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Email updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Thunderbird 78.13.0 is a security update. Use Help, Check for updates to get the most current version.
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Flickr Downloadr 3.4.1.1 updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://flickrdownloadr.com/downloads/

iTunes 12.11.4 is a security update.
https://apple.com/itunes

Plex Media Server 1.23.6.4881 resolves several bugs and improves scanner. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-media-server

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Epic Games 12.2.12 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.epicgames.com/

Nintendo Switch 12.1.0 improves stability. This is not a security update.

Steam 2021.07.21 resolves a path bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.steampowered.com/

Office Updates

One or more of these are likely to be of interest to most people.

Adobe Connect 11.2.3 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/connect/apsb21-66.html

Adobe Magento Commerce 2.4.3, 2.4.2-p2, and 2.3.7-p1 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/magento/apsb21-64.html

Adobe Reader DC 21.005.20060 improves reliability. This is not a security update.
https://get.adobe.com/reader

Atom 1.58.0 improves cosmetics and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://atom.io/

Audacity 3.0.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.audacityteam.org/download/

Blender 2.93.2 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.blender.org/download/

Krita 4.4.7 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://krita.org/en/download/krita-desktop/

LibreOffice Fresh 7.1.5 resolves over 50 bugs. This is not a security update. The “Fresh” line is beta software and should be avoided for the stable release.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Nextcloud Desktop 3.3.0 resolves over 50 bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Notepad++ 8.1.2 improves dark mode. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Security Software Updates

One or more of these is likely to be of interest to most people.

DNSQuerySniffer 1.85 adds sort menu options and improves high DPI support. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/dns_query_sniffer.html

elementary OS 6 is a major update that integrates several new features and controls and a simplified installer. This is not a security update.
https://elementary.io/

RogueKiller 15.0.9 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.adlice.com/download/roguekiller/

uBlock Origin 1.37.2 resolves several books. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/latest

Tails 4.21 is a security update.
https://tails.boum.org/install/dvd-download/index.en.html

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Elgato Game Capture HD 3.70.51 adds PS5 and Xbox Series X/S to input and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.elgato.com/en/game-capture-software

ScreenToGif 2.33.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/NickeManarin/ScreenToGif/releases/latest

SnagIt 2021.4.3 is a security update.
https://download.techsmith.com/snagit/enu/snagit.exe

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

HandBrake 1.4.0 adds several new filters, improves hardware encoding, resolves several bugs, and updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://handbrake.fr/

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Dell Command Update 4.3 is a security update.
https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/sln311129/dell-command-update?lang=en

DesktopOK 9.15 improves compatibility with Windows 11 and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

GoodSync 11.8.0 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

Homedale 1.98 improves CLI support. This is not a security update.
https://www.the-sz.com/products/homedale/

IsMyHdOK 3.33 improves compatibility with Windows 11 and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/IsMyHdOK

NTLite 2.2.0.8152 adds several new features, improves performance, updates libraries and resolves bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

Aomei Partition Assistant 9.4 adds Disk Defrag and resolves a bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.diskpart.com/

ProcDump 10.1 adds an option to specify a dumpfile comment and supports triage dumps. This is not a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

PowerToys 0.43.0 improves stability and accessibility, and resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

RDCMan 2.82 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

RoboForm 9.1.9 resolves several bugs. This follows shortly after a security update.
https://www.roboform.com/

Rufus 3.15 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://rufus.ie/en/

Sigcheck 2.82 resolves a stability bug. This is not a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

Synergy 1.14.0 is a security update.
https://symless.com/synergy/

Sysmon 13.23 resolves a stability bug. This is not a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

ZoomText 2021 2021.2107.13.400 adds support for new hardware and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://support.freedomscientific.com/Downloads/ZoomText

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Node.js 16.6.1 resolves several bugs. This build closely follow 16.6.0, which was a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 14.17.4 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 12.22.4 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Visual Studio Code 1.59 improves extensions, finalizes the Testing API, adds Remote Containers, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

WinMerge 2.16.14 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://winmerge.org/

Virtual Machine Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

VirtualBox 6.1.26-145957 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Web Package Updates

These are likely to be of interest only to web developers.

Dada Mail 11.14.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://dadamailproject.com/

Docker Desktop 3.5.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Drupal 9.2.3 is a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

HumHub 1.9.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.humhub.com/en/download

MailArchiva 8.1.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://mailarchiva.com/

Nextcloud Server 22.1.0 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

ownCloud Server 10.8 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://owncloud.org/install/

phpList 3.6.4 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.phplist.org/

ScreenConnect 21.10.4238.7885 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.connectwise.com/software/control/download

WordPress 5.8 integrates Blocks into Widget logic, adds new patterns, and styles. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/

Antispam Bee 2.10.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Autoptimize 2.9.0 improves customization and controls. This is not a security update.

BuddyPress 9.0.0 improves compatibility, block support, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Contact Form 7 5.4.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Interactive World Map 3.1.9.1 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.

myStickymenu 2.5.6 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Postie 1.9.56 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.

Redirection 5.1.3 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.

Slider Revolution 6.5.6 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://revolution.themepunch.com/

Social Post Feed 2.19.3 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.

Sucuri Security 1.8.27 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.

Visual Composer 38.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://visualcomposer.com/

W3 Total Cache 2.1.6 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

WooCommerce 5.5.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

WordPress Zero Spam 5.0.13 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.

WP Mail SMTP 3.0.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

That’s all for now folks. Keep it clean out there. 😉

Regards,

Shawn K. Hall
https://SaferPC.info/
https://12PointDesign.com/