Tag Archives: msrt

Updates 2020-08-11

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Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for August 2020.

This Month in Technology

I pride myself in my sarcastic wit and infinite patience, but these days I spend so much time shaking my head in such shame for humanity that I’m afraid I’m going to get whiplash.

I’m trying to keep on the topic of technology, but it’s hard when that very technology is being used to silence, stalk, abuse, and defame so many. What’s worse is that when they’re caught they just throw money at those investigating them in order to escape culpability.

Cancel Culture was obvious to authors in the 1930s, but has been ignored over the last decade because those who speak up are themselves cancelled. Richard Stallman explains his position on digital currencies being evil, and how technological tracking will inevitably be used for cancel culture. (Heck, even Bill Maher opposes cancel culture!) Sadly, it may be too late to stop at this point, since cancel culture has now escaped planet Earth to infect the cosmos.

Canon was hacked, Avon was hacked, Intel was hacked, Garmin was hacked, Walmart was hacked and is being sued under the CCPA over it, Capital One was finally punished for being hacked, Dave was hacked, Ledger was hacked, exposing a million accounts and emails, Tor has been hacked (the vulnerabilities have actually been known for *years*), nearly a thousand enterprise VPN servers have been hacked, 62,000 NAS devices have been hacked and infected, and Twitter was hacked (by a Florida teen who exposed Twitter’s “nonexistent” censorship tools). Is it any wonder Twitter was hacked since it took them almost two years to patch an app vulnerability?

A dozen VPN providers used an unprotected and insecure storage to harvest details of over twenty million (20,000,000) users, including payment details and traffic history.

Google is harvesting data from third parties to build rival apps, but it doesn’t stop there – they also “accidentally” enabled their Google Home smart devices to listen 24/7 and record their environments.

A TeamViewer vulnerability allows anyone running a version older than those released *yesterday* to be hacked, and of the 79 Netgear router models that have known security vulnerabilities, Netgear has announced they won’t patch 45 of them – including several AC models that are only 3 years old, and Snapdragon chip vulnerabilities put over a billion Android devices at risk. On the subject of defective hardware, BadPower can light you up!

Microsoft is flagging HOSTS files used to block unwanted telemetry as malicious. Evil extensions continue to be evil. AT&T “accidentally” tells all their customers they have to replace their brand new phones in order to continue to use cell service, Humana (Tricare) “accidentally” told 600,000 US military veterans that they were infected with COVID-19.

Advertisements are evil privacy-erasing monsters, but Ad URLs are worse.

Now for the good(?) news:

Recently, the lockdowns are responsible for more suicides and deaths by overdose than COVID-19. That’s gotta be a silver lining somehow, right?

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Patch Tuesday this month is huge. The typical computer should see roughly 2 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates for Windows, Edge, .NET, Internet Explorer, Office, Servicing Stack, and MSRT (~1.3 GB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Apple released updates for macOS Catalina 10.15.6, Security Update 2020-004 Mojave, Security Update 2020-004 High Sierra, Safari 13.1.2, Xcode 11.6, iCloud for Windows 11.3, iCloud for Windows 7.20, iTunes 12.10.8 for Windows. This includes security updates. Use Apple Software Update to install these updates. A reboot is required.

iOS 13.6 and 12.4.8, and iPadOS 13.6 are security updates. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

watchOS 6.2.8 and 5.3.8 are security updates. Use the Watch app on your iPhone to install the most current version.

tvOS 13.4.8 is a security update. Use System, Software Update to install the most current version.

Adobe Flash Player 32.0.0.414 is a security update.
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flash
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flashie
Mac: https://12pd.com/click?flashmac

Google Chrome OS 84.0.4147.110 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 Catalina (10.15) means that macOS Sierra (10.12) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS High Sierra (10.13) 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 (2004) is a huge (about 25% larger than any prior build) so will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 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.

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 18.0.2.8 resolves issues with NVIDIA removal. 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 1.11.104 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://brave.com/

Firefox 79.0 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version

Firefox ESR 68.11.0 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

Google Chrome 84.0.4147.125 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

Microsoft Edge 84.0.522.59 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

Vivaldi 3.2.1967.41 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

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

Thunderbird 78.1.0 is a security update. Direct updates are disabled for 78.x so you will need to download and install the update from the Thunderbird website:
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

Internet Updates

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

BrowsingHistoryView 2.41 adds support for local /cfg file. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/browsing_history_view.html

Dropbox 103.4.383 doesn’t provide a detailed changelog, so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

FileZilla Client 3.49.1 resolves a cosmetic bug. This is not a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

FreeFileSync 11.0 improves Google Drive sync and backups, adds WSL symlink support, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.freefilesync.org/download.php

Npcap 0.9996 resolves several bugs, including stability/crash problems. This is not a security update.
https://nmap.org/npcap/

Technitium DNS Server 5.0.2 resolves several bugs and updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://technitium.com/dns/

WinSCP 5.17.7 is a security update.
https://winscp.net/eng/index.php

Zoom 5.2.42619.0804 resolves several bugs, improves compatibility and hardware support, and adds several new features. This is not a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Line 9.6.0 adds effects stickers. This is not a security update.
http://line.me/update

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

3tene 2.0.2 updates libraries, improves compatibility, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://en.3tene.com/

iTunes 12.10.8 is a security update. Use Apple Software Update to install the most current version.

darktable 3.2.1 resolves almost 100 bugs, improves lighttable, CSS styles, Color Picker, preferences, and many more. This is not a security update.
https://www.darktable.org/install/

Picard 2.4.1 resolves a dozen bugs and adds support for new formats, improves functions and stability. This is not a security update.
https://picard.musicbrainz.org/

Office Updates

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

Adobe Reader DC 20.012.20041 is a security update. Use Menu, Check for updates to get the most current version.

Adobe Lightroom 9.3 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/lightroom/apsb20-51.html

Magento 2.4.0 and 2.3.5-p2 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/magento/apsb20-47.html

Adobe Reader Mobile 20.3 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/reader-mobile/apsb20-50.html

Adobe Prelude 9.0.1 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/prelude/apsb20-46.html

Adobe Photoshop 20.0.10 and 21.2.1 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/photoshop/apsb20-45.html

Adobe Bridge 10.1.1 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/bridge/apsb20-44.html

Atom 1.50.0 resolves several bugs and updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://atom.io/

Blender 2.83.4 resolves dozens of bugs and improves performance. This is not a security update.
https://www.blender.org/download/

LibreOffice Still 6.4.5 is a major update to the stable version of LibreOffice. This build resolves over 100 bugs and improves stability over the previous beta “Fresh” line. This is not a security update.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

LibreOffice Fresh 7.0.0 is beta software. While this is a major update to the beta version of LibreOffice, nearly 200 bugs were resolved over the last few days so you should only use this if you are comfortable using beta software that is very likely to crash. This is not a security update.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Notepad++ 7.8.9 resolves 9 bugs that improve cosmetics after the recent updates. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Paint.net 4.2.13 resolves several bugs and improves low-quality exports. This is not a security update.
https://www.getpaint.net/

Security Software Updates

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

DNSQuerySniffer 1.81 adds local /cfg file support and adds Select/Deselect All to column settings. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/dns_query_sniffer.html

Gpg4win 3.1.12 resolves several bugs and improves reliability. This is a security update.
https://www.gpg4win.org/download.html

Hashcat 6.1.1 resolves several bugs and adds support for new algorithms. This is not a security update.
https://hashcat.net/hashcat/#downloadlatest

RogueKiller 14.6.3 updates core engine and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.adlice.com/download/roguekiller/

uBlock Origin 1.29.0 resolves several bugs. 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.

SnagIt 2020.1.4 improves cosmetic controls and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://download.techsmith.com/snagit/enu/snagit.exe

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 11.1.0.1 adds support for new encodings, adds output configuration exports, batch reporting, and new output profiles. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/download.htm

MakeMKV 1.15.2 updates muxer to the latest matroska specification, resolves several bugs and adds drive speed control and standalone sdftool. This is not a security update.
https://www.makemkv.com/download/

PDF Creator 4.1.2 resolves a COM interface error and several other bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.pdfforge.org/pdfcreator

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

1Password for Windows 7.6.780 resolves several bugs and improves cosmetics. This is a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/windows/

Bitwarden 1.20.1 resolves a crash bug and adds support for Windows Hello or TouchID on macOS to unlock the vault. This is not a security update.
https://bitwarden.com/

CCleaner 5.70.7909 improves compatibility, but is still detected as a “potentially unwanted program” by Windows Defender (and with all the problems CCleaner has had in the last couple years, they could be right).
https://www.ccleaner.com/

CPU-Z Installer 1.93 adds support for newer hardware. This is not a security update.
https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

CurrPorts 2.62 adds ‘Copy Remote Address’ option. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/cports.html

Dell Command Update 3.1.3 improves reliability, compatibility, and stability. This is not a security update.
https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/sln311129/dell-command-update?lang=en

DesktopOK 7.71 resolves several bugs and adds HTTPS updates. This is a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

Eraser 6.2.0.2990 adds exFAT support but doesn’t have a changelog. This should be treated as a security update.
https://eraser.heidi.ie/download/

Etcher 1.5.102 updates libraries, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Everything 1.4.1.988 reworks some Lite behavior, ensures volumes are mounted before use, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.voidtools.com/

FolderChangesView 2.32 adds local /cfg support. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/folder_changes_view.html

GoodSync 11.2.8 resolves several bugs and improves reliability. This is not a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

Homedale 1.88 adds OWE encryption support. This is not a security update.
https://www.the-sz.com/products/homedale/

IsMyHdOK 2.21 vastly improves SSD support. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/IsMyHdOK

NTLite 2.0.0.7596 resolves several bugs and adds new settings options. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

PointerStick 4.25 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/PointerStick

PowerToys 0.20.1 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

RoboForm 8.9.1 adds import from Edge and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.roboform.com/

Sysmon 11.11 fixes a bug that prevented USB media from being ejected. This should be treated as a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

TaskSchedulerView 1.56 improves compatibility for devices where the Remote Registry service is disabled. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/task_scheduler_view.html

TeamViewer 15.8.3 is a security update.
https://www.teamviewer.com/en/download/windows/

TraceRouteOK 1.77 resolves several bugs and improves GUI. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/TraceRouteOK

USBDeview 3.00 adds several new timestamp columns that can be read when running elevated, and renames the other timestamp fields. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

USB Oblivion 1.13.0.0 adds ability to clean the Partition Diagnostic journal. This is not a security update.
https://www.cherubicsoft.com/en/projects/usboblivion

WifiInfoView 2.62 improves local /cfg file behavior. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html

WinScan2PDF 5.88 improves compatibility with multifunction devices. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/WinScan2PDF

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ADB 30.0.4 resolves several bugs and improves fastboot. This is not a security update.
https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools

AutoHotkey 1.1.33.02 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.autohotkey.com/download/

Node.js 14.8.0 resolves dozens of bugs and updates libraries. This should be treated as a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js v12 12.18.3 updates libraries and resolves dozens of bugs. This should be treated as a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Redemption 5.24.0.5736 adds several new methods and properties, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.dimastr.com/redemption/

Web Package Updates

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

Dada Mail 11.11.0 adds Scheduling and validation, makes Open Discussion Lists always available, significantly improves active troubleshooting, and resolves compatibility with StopForumSpam. This is not a security update.
http://dadamailproject.com/

Docker Desktop 2.3.0.4 improves cross-platform compatibility, installation troubleshooting, and WSL 2 support. This is not a security update.
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Drupal 9.0.3 resolves over 100 bugs. This is not a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

HumHub 1.6.2 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.humhub.com/en/download

MailEnable 10.31 improves logging, and resolves over 30 bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.mailenable.com/

Nextcloud Server 19.0.1 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

OpenCart 3.0.3.6 adds PayPal extensions and removes Openbay Pro. This is not a security update.
https://www.opencart.com/

OpenPetra 2020.06 adds consent storage for compatibility with legal requirements,
https://www.openpetra.org/

ScreenConnect 20.8.29574.7520 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.connectwise.com/software/control/download

Autoptimize 2.7.6 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

BuddyPress 6.2.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Contact Form 7 5.2.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Social Post Feed 2.16 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.

Register IP – Multisite 1.8.2 resolves a cosmetic bug and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.

NextScripts Social Networks Auto-Poster 4.3.16 improves compatibility and resolves two bugs. This is not a security update.

W3 Total Cache 0.14.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

WooCommerce 4.3.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

WP Add Custom CSS 1.1.6 updates code editor and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.

WordPress Zero Spam 4.9.12 is the latest in a series of fixes to the 4.0 rewrite. Over a hundred changes and many new features and controls are added. 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 2020-07-14

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Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for July 2020.

This Month in Technology

Apple has formally announced that they’ll be switching to ARM processors on their new hardware. While Apple asserts that “most apps will just work,” the truth is that if it’s not a 64-bit app or it hasn’t been updated in more than a year, chances are not only won’t work on ARM but will never work on ARM. If you were here when they switched from PowerPC to Intel you remember the issues were long and wide. You’ll likely need a VM to make many of your apps work.

Piracy doesn’t pay, except for those creating the pirated apps.

Macs are still getting infected through fake “Flash update” malware, even on Catalina. From the comments, “Which is worse, a real Flash installer or a fake one? It’s a toss-up.”

Microsoft was caught breaching user trust, again, by hijacking your data from other browsers and importing into their forced update to their new Edge browser without your permission.

Mozilla switched to a 4-week cadence for major updates in March. This has resulted in even less time for beta testing and the expected release+1 security updates.

Google Chrome is planning to hide everything in a URL other than the domain name. Google, the most popular purveyor of information and also the self-appointed gatekeeper to what is true and false, believes that having the complete URL is bad for you.

Google resolved a major email spoofing vulnerability through customer services, shortly before allowing a core domain name for their Blogger service to expire.

Slack vulnerability allowed hackers to distribute malware to victims devices.

What is it going to take before you stop copying passwords on your phone?

Everyone knows Facebook is always listening. Now the courts have finally considered their web widgets “Wiretaps.” Others are, too. They’re also designing systems to be able to trigger recording of all background noise from external queues. In states like California, Facebook is already violating the all-party consent requirements by recording audio 24/7. Maybe they’ll eventually acknowledge that it’s bad and stop? Ouch. Sorry, I hurt myself laughing there. Oh, and the Facebook Messenger app allowed you to be infected with persistent malware. If you have a website with Facebook integration, you need to take action now to comply with the CCPA.

Airlines are perfectly happy to violate the Americans with Disabilities Act – and treat you like a terrorist – if you have medical conditions.

Bitdefender Antivirus allowed any website you visited to run code on your device. Apache’s Guacamole remote support client allows attackers to take over the entire enterprise. Backdoors in operating systems, why not backdoors in encryption software?

Surprise: phishing still works. Even by text. …and launching a service that relays content to third-parties will ensure it is abused. Honeypots (systems designed to be opened for abuse to see how attacks take place) demonstrate four previously unknown zero-day vulnerabilities.

Nintendo, Plex, Honda, Samsung, Oxford University, University Of Pittsburgh Medical Center, UCSF, anyone banking with various Chinese banks, Night Lion Security, 79 different Netgear router models, hundreds of online retailers, and it won’t be long before IoT vulnerabilities can be used to provide big game hunting for rare species.

June Patch Tuesday updates from Microsoft broke Outlook and other apps for some users.

Selective enforcement means you’re a publisher, says AG Barr of Section 230 of the CDA. There’s no better way to prevent the abuse of Section 230 to censor voices you disagree with.

Now for the good news:

Starlink is coming. LEO internet access could provide up to 1 Gbps Internet access from space. Testing will begin in the next weeks and will gradually move south as satellites take place.

For now, you can cut your internet bill by taking advantage of the free Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots through the end of the year.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Patch Tuesday this month is huge. The typical computer should see roughly 1.5 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates for Windows, Edge, .NET, Internet Explorer, DNS Server, Office, Servicing Stack, and MSRT (~900 MB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Adobe Flash Player 32.0.0.403 is a security update.
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flash
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flashie
Mac: https://12pd.com/click?flashmac

Google Chrome OS 83.0.4103.119 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 Catalina (10.15) means that macOS Sierra (10.12) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS High Sierra (10.13) 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 (2004) is a huge (about 25% larger than any prior build) so will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 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.

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.

Crucial Storage Executive 6.04 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.crucial.com/support/storage-executive

Daemon Tools Lite 10.13.0 improves activation and creation and use of bootable disk images. This is not a security update.
https://www.daemon-tools.cc/products/dtLite

Intel Driver and Support Assistant 20.7.26 adds support for new hardware and improves application detection. This is not a security update.
https://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/detect

nVidia 451.67 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. 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 1.10.97 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 84.0.4147.89 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

Microsoft Edge 83.0.478.64 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 78.0.2 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

Firefox ESR 68.10.0 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

SeaMonkey 2.53.3 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.seamonkey-project.org/

Vivaldi 3.1.1929.45 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

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

OutlookAttachView 3.41 adds an option to copy the preview content and resolves a bug in the cfg switch. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/outlook_attachment.html

Thunderbird 68.10.0 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

Internet Updates

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

Trillian 6.3.0.6 resolves dozens of bugs, including 2FA and stability issues. This is a security update.
https://www.trillian.im/

Trillian Mac 6.3.0.6 resolves several stability bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.trillian.im/

curl 7.71.1 resolves several sanitation issues. This should be treated as a security update.
https://curl.haxx.se/windows/

Dropbox 101.4.434 doesn’t provide a useful changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

FileZilla Client 3.49.0 resolves a several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

FreeFileSync 10.25 adds support for Google Drive Shared Drives and Shortcuts, resolves several bugs, and improves user interface. This is not a security update.
https://www.freefilesync.org/download.php

Npcap 0.9995 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nmap.org/npcap/

PuTTY 0.74 is a security update.
https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html

Technitium DNS Server 5.0.1 is a major update that refactors how blocklists are stored and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://technitium.com/dns/

Zoom 5.1.28656.0709 is a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Steam 2020.07.09 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.

Office Updates

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

Adobe Camera Raw and DNG Converter 12.3 adds support for new hardware. This is not a security update.
Mac: https://supportdownloads.adobe.com/detail.jsp?ftpID=6955
Win: https://supportdownloads.adobe.com/detail.jsp?ftpID=6957

Adobe Download Manager 2.0.0.529 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/adm/apsb20-49.html

Adobe ColdFusion 2016.16 and 2018.10 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/coldfusion/apsb20-43.html

Adobe FrameMaker 2019.0.6 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
Win32: https://supportdownloads.adobe.com/detail.jsp?ftpID=6963
Win64: https://supportdownloads.adobe.com/detail.jsp?ftpID=6965

Adobe Genuine Service 7.1 is a security update. (Point this one out the next time someone says pirating Adobe software can reduce the security of your computer.)
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/integrity_service/apsb20-42.html

Adobe Media Encoder 14.3 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/media-encoder/apsb20-36.html

Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop Application 5.2 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/creative-cloud/apsb20-33.html

Magento SUPEE-11346 (for Magento v1) is a security update.
https://www.magentocommerce.com/products/downloads/magento/

Adobe Audition 13.0.7 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/audition/apsb20-40.html

Adobe Premiere Rush 1.5.16 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/premiere_rush/apsb20-39.html

Adobe Premiere Pro 14.3 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/premiere_pro/apsb20-38.html

Adobe Illustrator 2020 24.2 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb20-37.html

Adobe After Effects 17.1.1 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/after_effects/apsb20-35.html

Adobe Campaign Classic 20.2 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/campaign/apsb20-34.html

Artweaver 7.0.6 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.artweaver.de/

Atom 1.49.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://atom.io/

Blender 2.83.2 resolves over 1250 bugs, adds improves performance and stability across several features and adds viewport denoiser. This is not a security update.
https://www.blender.org/download/

Krita 4.3.0 adds several new watercolor effects with brush presets and gradient map and palettizer filters. This is not a security update.
https://krita.org/en/download/krita-desktop/

LibreOffice Fresh 6.4.5 resolves over 100 bugs. This is beta software so should be avoided in favor of the “Still” version (LibreOffice stable). This is not a security update.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Nextcloud Desktop 2.6.5 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Notepad++ 7.8.8 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Adobe Reader DC 20.009.20074 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://get.adobe.com/reader

Security Software Updates

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

Bitmessage 0.6.3.2 is a security update.
https://github.com/Bitmessage/PyBitmessage/releases/latest

DrWeb CureIt! 14.07.2020 should be treated as a security update.
https://www.freedrweb.com/download+cureit+free/?lng=en

Hashcat 6.0.0 adds 51 new algorithms, CUDA support, GPU emulation, improved auto-tuning and more. This should be treated as a security update.
http://hashcat.net/hashcat/#downloadlatest

RogueKiller 14.6.1 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.adlice.com/download/roguekiller/

TinyWall 3.0.7 adds support for WSL, whitelisting from network shares, improves detection of short-lived processes, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://tinywall.pados.hu/

uBlock Origin 1.28.2 improves syntax highlighting in My Filters and asset viewer, resolves several bugs, and replaces the default filterlists with a new composite list.
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/latest

VT-CLI 0.8.0 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://github.com/VirusTotal/vt-cli/releases/latest

Wireless Network Watcher 2.22 updates the internal MAC database and improves the CFG switch. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_network_watcher.html

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ScreenToGif 2.26.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/NickeManarin/ScreenToGif/releases/latest

SnagIt 2020.1.3 adds support for direct publication through TechSmith Knowmia, adds transparency support for color replacement, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://download.techsmith.com/snagit/enu/snagit.exe

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 11.0.9.7 adds support for new encodings, adds several new conversion tools, presets, and bug fixes. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/download.htm

FFmpeg 4.3.1 updates libraries. This should be treated as a security update.
https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg.html

HandBrake 1.3.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://handbrake.fr/

IsoBuster 4.6 adds a bunch of new features and format supports. This is not a security update.
https://www.isobuster.com/download.php

PDF Creator 4.1 resolves several bugs and improves watermark support. This is not a security update.
https://www.pdfforge.org/pdfcreator

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

1Password for Mac 7.6 is a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/mac/

1Password for Windows 7.6.778 resolves dozens of bugs and improves reliability, adds notifications of website compromise, and improves accessibility. This is a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/windows/

8GadgetPack 33.0 resolves several bugs, improves high-DPI support, removes defunct widgets. This is not a security update.
https://8gadgetpack.net/

AS SSD Benchmark 2.0.7316.34247 resolves a device access bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.alex-is.de/PHP/fusion/downloads.php?cat_id=4

Autoruns 13.98 now shows the Windows Defender binary as a signed binary. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

Beyond Compare 4.3.5.24893 improves integration and compatibility, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.scootersoftware.com/download.php?zz=dl4

Bitwarden 1.19.0 improves password concealment, adds soft delete and vault timeouts. This is not a security update.
https://bitwarden.com/

Cygwin 3.1.6 adds support for new socket options, resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://cygwin.com/

DesktopOK 7.48 adds SSL to automatic update capability. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

Etcher 1.5.101 resolves several bugs, improves UI, and updates libraries. This should be treated as a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

GoodSync 11.2.5 resolves several bugs and changes licensing…again. This is not a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

MS ISO Downloader 8.38 adds support for new images. This is not a security update.
https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-and-office-iso-download-tool

NTLite 1.9.0.7539 adds controls for Target release, Store pinning, Fast Startup, Fast User Switching, Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling, Shutdown menu, Variable refresh rate, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

PowerToys 0.19.1 resolves dozens of bugs and stability issues. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

Rufus 3.11 improves compatibility and adds several keyboard shortcuts to toggle behaviors. This should be treated as a security update.
https://rufus.ie/en_IE.html

Sysmon 11.10 now captures ADS content into logs, introduces an is-any filter condition, and fixes several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

Sigcheck 2.80 adds an option for specifying a trust GUID for signature verification and now shows certificate signing chains. This is not a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

SimpleWMIView 1.41 adds cell-copying and case-sensitivity filtering. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/simple_wmi_view.html

TeamViewer 15.7.7 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.teamviewer.com/en/download/windows/

WifiInfoView 2.61 updates the internal MAC addresses list. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html

WinScan2PDF 5.81 resolves several bugs and improves rotation support. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/WinScan2PDF

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ADB 30.0.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools

Android Studio 4.0.1.0 resolves over a dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://developer.android.com/studio

AutoHotkey 1.1.33.01 resolves several bugs and adds encoding, warnings, and version requirement options. This is not a security update.
https://www.autohotkey.com/download/

Godot 3.2.2 makes over 800 changes, adding C# support for iOS, 2D batching for GLES2, re-architecture of the Android plugin system, DRLS support and ENet integration, and better handling of Variants. This is not a security update.
https://godotengine.org/

Java 8u261 is a security update.
https://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

Node.js 14.5.0 resolves dozens of bugs and updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js v12 12.18.2 resolves several bugs and updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

SQLite 3.32.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.sqlite.org/download.html

DB Browser for SQLite 3.12.0 improves table editing, conditional formatting, and multi-threading, as well as dozens of other improvements and bug fixes. This is not a security update.
https://sqlitebrowser.org/

Visual Studio Code 1.47.1 is a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

Virtual Machine Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

VirtualBox 6.1.12-139181 resolves over a dozen bugs and improves hardware compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

PPSSPP 1.10.3 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.

Apache Tomcat 10.0.0-M7, 9.0.37, and 8.5.57 are security updates.
https://tomcat.apache.org/

Coppermine Gallery 1.6.08 improves installation and compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://coppermine-gallery.net/

Dada Mail 11.10.3 improves AWS signature v4 support. This is not a security update.
https://dadamailproject.com/

Drupal 8.8.8 and 8.9.2 are security updates.
https://drupal.org/download

Drupal 9.0.2 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

Joomla 3.9.20 is a security update.
https://www.joomla.org/

phpList 3.5.5 is a security update.
https://www.phplist.org/

ScreenConnect 20.7.29305.7496 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.connectwise.com/software/control/download

WordPress 5.4.2 is a security update.
https://wordpress.org/

Autoptimize 2.7.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

BuddyPress 6.1.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Contact Form 7 5.2 improves compatibility and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Email Log 2.4.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

myStickymenu 2.4.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Raw HTML 1.6.3 resolves a warning. This is not a security update.

Theme My Login 7.1.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

W3 Total Cache 0.14.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

WooCommerce 4.3.0 adds template caching, PHP warnings, improves accessibility, and resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.

WP Mail SMTP 2.2.1 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. 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 2020-06-09

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Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for June 2020.

Windows 10 v2004 has been released. Don’t be the guinea pig! Make sure you’ve installed v1909 recently so you won’t be forced into the new build before they work out the bugs. I don’t see a lot of differences between v2004 and v1909 that most people would benefit from, anyway, but these releases tend to take a couple months to work out most of the bugs. For example, many Windows policies are erased during the upgrade which can result in local accounts being forced into using inescapable Microsoft accounts for users that don’t understand that “skip for now” is an option.

If you’re running any commercial version of Windows 10 prior to v1809 (build 17763) then it’s no longer supported and you will not receive operating system security updates. Upgrade to v1909 ASAP to maintain security updates for your device. Don’t install v2004 yet, since it’s now in what most people would call the “public beta.” Download v1909 for your system using the ISO Downloader, mount the ISO, then use the setup.exe file to install. Change the option on the first page of the installer to DISABLE checking for updates until after the installation is completed.

This Month in Technology

You could have probably used an egg timer to measure the time between the Orwellian release of GACT – Google/Apple Contact Tracing, which we were assured time and time again would never be used for anything other than COVID-19 tracking – and when it was used to track and arrest protesters. The current version of GACT can be disabled by turning off Location and Bluetooth on your devices. This will not be the case in the next iteration due within the next month.

The number of security vulnerabilities discovered in popular open source projects more than doubled in 2019. The horror! The fear! Well, this is actually a good thing. Vulnerabilities aren’t created by evil third-parties or hackers. They’re created by the original developers. They’re baked into the programs and libraries that the developer created – generally through failure of imagination or insufficient testing. The hackers and other third-parties only discover them and report them to the developers. Think of it like someone testing all the car doors in a parking lot to see if a car is unlocked. The “discovered” (read “reported”) vulnerabilities are what happens when the guy checking doors tells the car owner that he left the doors unlocked, so they can lock their doors. Unfortunately, whether they’re discovered or not the vulnerabilities do exist. Bad people may have already checked those doors and stolen everything out of your car long before the vulnerabilities were reported to the developers. Seeing these numbers go up makes me smile – the whole world is better for it. 🙂

The recent attacks on Microsoft logins using Google and Amazon URL redirection to steal authentication keys are not the only phishing methods currently being widely deployed. Attackers are also sending fake VPN configurations to users, which would allow direct man-in-the-middle attacks to proceed against all sites and services the victim used with their device.

My position on most services and features in any operating system or device is “default deny.” Turning off unused and unwanted features ensures that they can’t be abused and effect greater control over your device or your network. The #CallStranger UPnP protocol vulnerability allows malicious scripts from any website to hijack your internal network and perform network scans, DDoS attacks, or foothold attacks against your internal devices, including the vulnerable router that has UPnP enabled. Disabling UPnP and using manual network assignment would prevent this and any future UPnP vulnerabilities from having any effect.

The IAB has released a framework to aid in compliance with the CCPA.

The Free Thought Project provides several alternatives to the current law enforcement crisis that can help prevent the riots and protests we’re seeing now in many major metropolitan areas.

REAL science for the win. I wonder if the MSM outlets that have been vilifying Hydroxychloroquine will ever retract their statements? Sorry, that’s facetious since we all know that the MSM never acknowledges their failings. Will the arbiters of “truth” at Twitter and Facebook concede that their censorship was actually in the name of bad science? Of course not.

A major attack against Ajit Pai’s elimination of Net Neutrality comes in the form of AT&T paying itself for zero-rating HBO Max data on their networks. This will likely spring back up the Net Neutrality battle in the FCC.

The next Y2K is coming. CA Certificates are the parent certificates of the ones that provide TLS/SSL security for websites. The first of several to expire within the next year expired a few days ago causing service disruption for automated processes that depended upon the expiring authority certificates. Roku, Stripe, Sectigo, Fortinet and many, many more. Four separate root certificates expire within the next year and a dozen in the next 5 years. Be prepared for this to happen several more times in the near future.

Now for the good news:

Linux LTS Kernel 4.19 and 5.4 will be supported for 6 years. This will have a huge impact on the effective life of IoT devices.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Thanks to the unstopping barrage of updates pushed during “weekly update quarantine”, Patch Tuesday this month is very light. The typical computer should see roughly 1 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates for Windows, Edge, .NET, Internet Explorer, Office, Servicing Stack, Microsoft Store, hardware security, and MSRT (~800 MB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Adobe Flash Player 32.0.0.387 is a security update.
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flash
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flashie
Mac: https://12pd.com/click?flashmac

Google Chrome OS 83.0.4103.97 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 Catalina (10.15) means that macOS Sierra (10.12) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS High Sierra (10.13) 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 (2004) is a huge (about 25% larger than any prior build) so will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 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.

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

Browser Updates

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

Brave 1.9.80 is a security update. This version removes the “accidental” hijacking of affiliate links. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://brave.com/

Microsoft Edge 83.0.478.45 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Email Updates

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

Thunderbird 68.9.0 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

Internet Updates

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

Npcap 0.9993 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nmap.org/npcap/

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Steam 2020.06.05 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Office Updates

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

Notepad++ 7.8.7 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Adobe Framemaker 2019.0.6 is a security update.
https://www.adobe.com/products/framemaker.html

Adobe Experience Manager 6.4 and 6.5 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/experience-manager/aem-releases-updates.html

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ScreenToGif 2.25 resolves several bugs, adds APNG support, adds option to disable tasks, and adds new URL metadata field. 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.

DVDFab 11.0.9.0 adds support for new encodings, improves default bit-rate and ripper modules, and resolves a SRT export bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/download.htm

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Etcher 1.5.97 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

PowerToys 0.18.2 resolves an elevation bug and several other bugs. This should be treated as a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

RoboForm 8.9.0 improves data synchronization, and resolves bugs in import. This is not a security update.
https://www.roboform.com/

USB Oblivion 1.12.2.0 adds support for unknown USB devices and resolves a bug related to old hardware. This is not a security update.
https://www.cherubicsoft.com/en/projects/usboblivion

WinScan2PDF 5.55 resolves a language selection bug and improves the scan integration. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/WinScan2PDF

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

SQLite 3.32.2 improves VFS and PostgreSQL compatibility, adds IIF() support, improves the import command, and several other improvements. This is a security update.
https://www.sqlite.org/download.html

Virtual Machine Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

VirtualBox 6.1.10-138449 adds support for Linux kernel 5.7, resolves several bugs, and improves Wayland compatibility. 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.

Docker Desktop 2.3.0.3 upgrades the Linux kernel and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Akismet 4.1.6 resolves a race condition. This is not a security update.

Postie 1.9.53 adds a filter for postie_subject. This is not a security update.

WP Mail SMTP 2.1.1 adds a filter to set global reply-to address and improves documentation. 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 2020-05-12

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Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for May 2020.

The next build of Windows 10 will be released in only two weeks. If you don’t want to be the guinea pig I strongly suggest you update to v1909 as soon as possible if you’re running an older build. This will grant you a reprieve from the new version for a couple months. Let everyone else beta test and you can upgrade when they’ve worked out the bugs.

Furthermore, yesterday was the last day of support for commercial versions of Windows 10 prior to v1809 (build 17763). If you’re running an older version upgrade to v1909 ASAP to maintain security updates for your device.

This Month in Technology

Send a text, get root.

Even more bad news for Apple devices, as Google’s Project Zero has discovered “numerous new vulnerabilities” on all Apple hardware, and all Apple devices with Thunderbolt ports are vulnerable to an unpatchable security exploit.

But it’s not just Apple. Samsung is patching recent devices from their Galaxy line, though every Galaxy device they produced over the last 7 years is vulnerable to a similar “perfect 10” vulnerability in image parsing.

Ghost and LineageOS were hacked using known vulnerabilities in SaltStack that were left unaddressed. Fortunately it doesn’t look like any serious damage was done.

Pitney Bowes has been hacked again.

Watering holes (places that aggregate data from many accounts and services) will always be prime targets. If you’re not increasing your defense-in-depth posture at your watering hole, expect to be repeatedly violated. Ask LabCorp.

Government-approved monopolies are far too frequently granted exceptions others are not. PG&E, despite causing the fires that killed over a hundred people and destroyed over 25,000 homes and triggering the current insurance crisis in California, has had their $200 million fine waived.

Racists take aim at technology, banning the use of names of colors in the UK.

If you support the lockdown, is it because you hate science or just math? Face masks increase your risk, not the other way around. There’s no such thing as perfect safety.

I won’t try to make a distinction between the junk science you worship and actual science. You’re too far gone for that.

The lockdown is proving more lethal than the coronavirus as suicides exceed COVID-19 deaths in Australia.

Now for the good news:

A massive 10,000+ device botnet is dying out. Sadly, this isn’t one of the truly evil ones that was used for severe malicious actions, but rather just for downloading Anime.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program. Thanks to the unstopping barrage of updates pushed during “weekly update quarantine”, Patch Tuesday this month is not that bad. The typical computer should see roughly 1.2 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates for Windows, .NET, Internet Explorer, Servicing Stack, and MSRT (~800 MB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Adobe Flash Player 32.0.0.371 is a security update.
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flash
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flashie
Mac: https://12pd.com/click?flashmac

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 Catalina (10.15) means that macOS Sierra (10.12) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS High Sierra (10.13) 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 (1909) is a pretty small update so will install quickly. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 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.

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

Browser Updates

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

Brave 1.8.95 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 81.0.4044.138 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

Microsoft Edge 81.0.416.72 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 76.0.1 follows shortly after 76.0 which is a security update. 76.0.1 resolves several compatibility issues. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

Firefox ESR 68.8.0 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

SeaMonkey 2.53.2 is a security update.
https://www.seamonkey-project.org/releases/

Vivaldi 3.0.1874.38 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

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

Thunderbird 68.8.0 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

Internet Updates

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

Trillian 6.3.0.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.trillian.im/

Npcap 0.9991 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://nmap.org/npcap/

Zoom 5.0.24046.0510 improves local privacy. This is not a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Picard 2.3.2 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://picard.musicbrainz.org/

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Nintendo Switch 10.0.2 resolves a pairing bug and improves stability. This is not a security update.

Tekkit Server 1.2.9i disables mod update checks resolving a crash bug. This is not a security update.
http://www.technicpack.net/modpack/tekkitmain

Office Updates

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

Adobe Reader DC 20.009.20063 is a security update. Use Help, Check for updates to install the most current version.

Adobe Acrobat 2020.009.20063, 2017.011.30171, and 2015.006.30523 are security updates. Use Help, Check for updates to install the most current version.

Atom 1.46.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://atom.io/

Adobe DNG Software Development Kit (SDK) 1.5.1 is a security update.
Win: https://supportdownloads.adobe.com/product.jsp?product=120&platform=Windows
Mac: https://supportdownloads.adobe.com/product.jsp?product=120&platform=Macintosh

Security Software Updates

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

RogueKiller 14.4.2 resolves a crash bug and updates service. This is not a security update.
https://www.adlice.com/download/roguekiller/

TinyWall 3.0.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://tinywall.pados.hu/

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ScreenToGif 2.24 resolves several bugs and adds two-pass FFmpeg option. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/NickeManarin/ScreenToGif/releases/latest

SnagIt 2020.1.2 resolves several crash bugs and improves compatibility. 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.

MKVToolnix 46.0.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.fosshub.com/MKVToolNix.html

HandBrake 1.3.2 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 7.5 adds password sharing by link, and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/mac/

DesktopOK 7.17 adds silent install support, resolves several bugs, and updates language files. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

Etcher 1.5.87 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

GoodSync 11.1.8 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?goodsync

IsMyHdOK 2.15 improves drive type detection. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/IsMyHdOK

MS ISO Downloader 8.36 updates libraries and adds new disk images. This should be treated as a security update.
https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-and-office-iso-download-tool

OSFMount 3.0.1006 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.osforensics.com/tools/mount-disk-images.html

PointerStick 4.01 updates language files. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/PointerStick

PowerToys 0.17.0 adds native automatic update and updates FancyZones behavior. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

PSAppDeploy 3.8.2 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://psappdeploytoolkit.com/

WifiChannelMonitor 1.60 updates the internal MAC addresses file. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_channel_monitor.html

WinScan2PDF 5.33 improves WIA compatibility and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/WinScan2PDF

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Android Studio 3.6.3.0 resolves a caching bug. This is not a security update.
https://developer.android.com/studio

Node.js 14.2.0 improves error handling and monitoring with assertions, and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Visual Studio Code 1.45 improves accessibility, color, syntax, and semantic highlighting, performance, and GitHub integration. 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 3.0.3.3 replaces all PayPal extensions with PayPal Commerce platform. This is not a security update.
https://www.opencart.com/

Adminer 4.7.7 is a security update.
https://www.adminer.org/en/

OpenPetra 2020.04 resolves several bugs, adds Sponsorship module, improves initial setup and updates libraries. This is a security update.
https://www.openpetra.org/

Autoptimize 2.7.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Social Post Feed 2.14.1 resolves a bug in notices. This is not a security update.

Postie 1.9.51 removes functions from logon screen. This is not a security update.

Redirection 4.7.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

NextScripts Social Networks Auto-Poster 4.3.15 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.

Top Commentators Widget 1.6 removes deprecated functions. This is not a security update.

WooCommerce 4.1.0 updates dependencies, resolves several bugs. This is a security update.

WP Mail SMTP 2.0.1 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.

Show IDs 1.1.4 improves compatibility with WordPress 5.4.1.

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

Regards,

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

Updates 2020-04-14

Posted on by
Reply

Welcome back, Folks!

Today is the real Patch Tuesday for April 2020.

The next build of Windows 10 is just around the corner. If you don’t want to be the guinea pig I strongly suggest you update to v1909 as soon as possible if you’re running an older build. This will grant you a reprieve from the new version for a couple months. Let everyone else beta test and you can upgrade when they’ve worked out the bugs.

This Month in Technology

France content publishers have won a tiny victory against Google. The French competition authority now requires Google (and presumably other news publishers) to pay for republication rights when including a snippet of content. Google simply removed the snippet and now publishes only the title and URL.

A scale 10.0 vulnerability in VMWare has placed most corporate and cloud offerings at severe risk of data compromise.

The latest build of the Switch operating system now lets you move downloaded games to an SD card and remap buttons.

Mozilla’s new privacy-first stance doesn’t apply to their own new telemetry collection.

Now for the good news:

Commissioner Carr of the FCC points out that US internet speed are up 70% since the repeal of Net Neutrality.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program. Thanks to the unstopping barrage of updates pushed during “weekly update quarantine”, Patch Tuesday this month is pretty light. The typical computer should see roughly 900 MB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates for Windows, Internet Explorer, and MSRT (~600 MB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Apple released updates for macOS Catalina 10.15.4 and watchOS 6.2.1. This includes security updates. Use Apple Software Update to install the most current versions. Be aware that the 10.15.4 update is known to brick some Apple hardware, so I recommend waiting for 10.15.5, due in about 10 days.

watchOS 6.2.1 is a security update. Use the Watch app on your iPhone to install the most current version.

Adobe Flash Player 32.0.0.363 is a security update.
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flash
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flashie
Mac: https://12pd.com/click?flashmac

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 Catalina (10.15) means that macOS Sierra (10.12) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS High Sierra (10.13) 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 (1909) is a pretty small update so will install quickly. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 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.

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

Browser Updates

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

Microsoft Edge 81.0.416.53 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Brave 1.7.92 is a security update.
https://brave.com/

Email Updates

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

Thunderbird 68.7.0 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

Internet Updates

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

Zoom 4.6.20559.0413 is a security update. Click the user icon, Check for updates to install the most current version.
https://zoom.us/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Unreal Media Server 14.0 adds support for live HEVC (h265) video, output to UMS and MPEG2-TS players, streaming HTML5 video elements, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.umediaserver.net/umediaserver/download.html

Office Updates

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

Artweaver 7.0.5 improves hardware compatibility, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.artweaver.de/

IcoFX 3.4 improves hostory and semitransparent export, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://icofx.ro/

Adobe ColdFusion 2016.15 and 2018.9 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/coldfusion/kb/coldfusion-2016-update-15.html
https://helpx.adobe.com/coldfusion/kb/coldfusion-2018-update-9.html

Adobe After Effects 17.0.6 is a security update. Use Creative Cloud Desktop to install the most current version.

Adobe Digital Editions 4.5.11.187303 is a security update.
https://www.adobe.com/solutions/ebook/digital-editions/download.html

Adobe Camera Raw 12.2.1 doesn’t provide a changelog and download links don’t work. It could be a security update, but doesn’t look like it’s actually available yet.

Adobe DNG Converter 12.2.1 adds support for newer hardware. This is not a security update.
https://supportdownloads.adobe.com/detail.jsp?ftpID=6913
https://supportdownloads.adobe.com/detail.jsp?ftpID=6915

Security Software Updates

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

IISCrypto 3.2 adds a Protocols Enabled control. This is not a security update.
https://www.nartac.com/Products/IISCrypto/Default.aspx

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ScreenToGif 2.23.1 resolves a relative path bug. 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.

DVDFab 11.0.8.4 adds support for new encodings, performance improvements, and improved scaling with newer hardware. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/download.htm

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DesktopOK 6.93 improves Tools. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

GoodSync 10.11.5 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?goodsync

TeamViewer 15.4.8332 doesn’t have a published changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.teamviewer.com/en/download/windows/

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Visual Studio Code 1.44 improves accessibility, adds preserved undo/redo beyond application closure, remote checkout into containers, timeline view, settings sync and more. This is not a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

Java 8u251 is a security update. If you are not 110% sure you require Java, it’s best to remove it. Java and JavaScript are not the same thing and few desktop applications actually require Java.
https://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

Web Package Updates

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

myStickymenu 2.3.9 fixes a bug in the notification bar. This is not a security update.

Postie 1.9.46 resolves a notification bug. 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/