Updates 2022-11-08

Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for November, 2022.

This month brings a new major version of macOS (13/Ventura) and a new major version of Windows 10. That’s on top of the nearly 100 major hacks, and over 130 application updates this month. Well, not really this month, since there were many more published on Oct 18th in the last newsletter. There is an OpenSSL security update, so almost every network or internet capable application has a security update right now. There should be about 4.5 GB of updates for most users.

This Month in Technology

Abode Iota All-In-One Security Kit, Advanced, Advocate Aurora Health, Amazon, Argentinian Armed Forces Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ascension St. Vincent’s Coastal Cardiology, AstraZeneca, Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) Observatory, Aurubis, Australian Clinical Labs, various auto key fobs, Aveanna, Azure Cosmos DB, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Bulgarian Government, Choice Health Insurance LLC, Cisco AnyConnect, CommonSpirit Health, Consorci Sanitari Integral, Defense Health Headquarters, Deribit, DESORDEN GROUP, Doomworld, DropBox, E-Pal, EnergyAustralia, Eventus WholeHealth, PLLC, Fontainebleau Development Health and Welfare Plan, Hackney Council, Heilbronn Stimme, HH/Killeen Health System, LLC, India metro, Indianapolis Housing Agency, Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Jeppesen, Keystone Health in Pennsylvania, Legal Aid ACT, Lolzteam, Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Mango Markets, Maple Leaf Foods, Massengale Eye Care, Massy Stores, MBDA, Medibank, Medlab Pathology, METRO, Microsoft, Mid-Westchester Anesthesia Services PC, Moola Market, MyDeal, Nelnet Servicing, New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, New York Post, Osaka Acute and General Medical Center, Pendragon Group, Phoenix Programs of Florida, Inc., Poland Parliament, Premier Physical Therapy and Sports Performance, LP, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, Primary Anesthesia Services, Pynenberg & Scheske DDS, SC, RecordTV, Regions Hospital, Resource Anesthesiology Associates of CA PC, Resource Anesthesiology Associates of CT PC, Resource Anesthesiology Associates Of KY PSC, Resource Anesthesiology Associates of NM Inc, Resource Anesthesiology Associates of VA LLC, Saddlebrook Anesthesia Services PC, See Tickets, Siemens PLCs, Sigmund Software, LLC, Slovakian Parliamant, Somnia Anesthesia, Somnia Pain Mgt of Kentucky, Somnia, Inc., Spain’s National Renewable Energy Center, St Luke’s Health – Texas, State Bar of Georgia, Tata Power, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Tift Regional Health System, Twilio, UK PM Liz Truss, UK’s Department for Education, Unimed Belem, hundreds of US news websites, Vastaamo, Verizon, Vinomofo, VMware Workspace One Access, Vodafone Italia, WakeMed Health and Hospitals, and Wenco Management, LLC Health and Welfare Benefit Plan have reportedly been hacked or compromised this month.

Microsoft’s Azure platform has been causing problems for their own WinGet package manager and SysInternals services. Instagram, Zscaler, and Wynncraft suffered widespread outages.

Now for the good news:

The more time you spend evaluating electric cars, the worse you will realize they are. Whether it’s electrical waste, environmental damage, increased pullution or just randomly bursting into flames, they’re clearly not ready for production. And now you know.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Patch Tuesday is huge this month. The typical computer should see roughly 4.5 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

With the release of a new version of macOS (13/Ventura) all macOS 10.x versions are no longer supported. If you’re not running at least 11/Big Sur, upgrade now or take your device offline. Really.

Windows 10 22H2 (19045) is a major update for Windows 10. Well, it’s supposed to be – there’s really almost no changes other than the extension of the support window. Even though there’s not a lot new to it, don’t be a lemming: wait at least a couple months for them to work out the inevitable bugs.

Microsoft released updates to address 82 vulnerabilities in .NET Framework, AMD CPU Branch, Azure, Azure Real Time Operating System, Linux Kernel, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Graphics Component, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Office SharePoint, Microsoft Office Word, Network Policy Server (NPS), Open Source Software, SysInternals, Visual Studio, Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call, Windows ALPC, Windows Bind Filter Driver, Windows BitLocker, Windows CNG Key Isolation Service, Windows Devices Human Interface, Windows Digital Media, Windows DWM Core Library, Windows Extensible File Allocation, Windows Group Policy Preference Client, Windows HTTP.sys, Windows Hyper-V, Windows Kerberos, Windows Mark of the Web (MOTW), Windows Netlogon, Windows Network Address Translation (NAT), Windows ODBC Driver, Windows Overlay Filter, Windows Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, Windows Print Spooler Components, Windows Resilient File System (ReFS), Windows Scripting, Windows Win32K
and MSRT (~3 GB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Apple released updates for iOS 15.7.1, iPadOS 15.7.1, iOS 16.1 and iPadOS 16, macOS Big Sur 11.7.1, macOS Monterey 12.6.1, macOS Ventura 13, Safari 16.1, tvOS 16.1, watchOS 9.1, and Xcode 14.1. This includes security updates. Use Apple Software Update to install these updates. A reboot is required.

iOS 16.1 and 15.7.1 are security updates. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

iPadOS 16.1 and 15.7.1 are security updates. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

watchOS 9.1 is a security update. Use the Watch app on your iPhone to install the most current version.

tvOS 16.1 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

Google Chrome OS 107.0.5304.92 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 Ventura (13.x) means that all macOS X (10.x) versions are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS Big Sur (11) 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 (v22H2) 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 12 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.

The now-current release of the Windows 11 (v22H2) 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 12 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.

AMD Adrenalin 22.10.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.amd.com/en/support

BullZip PDF Printer 14.1.0.2951 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.bullzip.com/products/pdf/info.php#download

Crucial Storage Executive 8.07 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.crucial.com/support/storage-executive

Display Driver Uninstaller 18.0.5.7 improves cleanup. This is not a security update.
https://www.wagnardsoft.com/display-driver-uninstaller-ddu

DS4Windows 3.1.10 resolves several bugs and improves responsiveness. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/Ryochan7/DS4Windows/releases/latest

Daemon Tools Lite 11.1.0 adds ARM support and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.daemon-tools.cc/products/dtLite

Garmin Express 7.15.2 doesn’t provide a detailed changelog so should be considered a security update.
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/software/express/

MSI Afterburner 2022.10.05 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.msi.com/Landing/afterburner/graphics-cards

Samsung DeX 2.4.0.29 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.samsung.com/us/apps/dex/

Browser Updates

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

Brave 1.45.118 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the current version.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 107.0.5304.87 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the current version.
https://www.google.com/chrome/

Microsoft Edge 107.0.1418.35 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the current version.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 106.0.5 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the current version.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Vivaldi 5.5.2805.42 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the current version.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

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

ProtonMail (Android) 3.0.9 improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://proton.me/mail/download

Spark 3.1.0.38675 does not provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://sparkmailapp.com/

Spark (macOS) 3.1.0.38673 does not provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://sparkmailapp.com/

Thunderbird 102.4.2 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the current version.
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

Internet Updates

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

AnyDesk 7.1.6 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://anydesk.com/en/downloads

curl 7.86.0 resolves almost 200 bugs. This is not a security update.
https://curl.haxx.se/windows/

Dropbox 160.4.4703 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

Facebook Messenger 168.0.0.24.90 is a security update.
https://www.messenger.com/download

FileZilla Client 3.62.0 updates libraries. This is a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

Google Drive 66.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://drive.google.com/start

Google Earth 7.3.6 resolves several bugs and improves several features. This is not a security update.
https://earth.google.com/

Microsoft Teams 1.5.00.28361 adds transcription, e-signature integration, rich call history and music on hold. This is not a security update.
https://teams.microsoft.com/downloads

Nextcloud Server 25.0.1 updates dependencies and resolves dozens of bugs. This is a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

PuTTY 0.78 is a security update.
https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html

Qbox 4.0.5.32 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.coraltreetech.com/qbox

Rclone 1.60.0 adds three new backends, several new features and resolves dozens of bugs. This is a security update.
https://rclone.org/

Signal 5.63.0 doesn’t provide a detailed changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://signal.org/download/windows/

Syncthing 1.22.1 resolves several bugs and improves reliability. This is not a security update.
https://syncthing.net/

Telegram 4.3.1 is a security update.
https://telegram.org/

Zoom 5.12.6.10137 adds a lot of new features and resolves over a dozen bugs. This is a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

3tene 3.0.6 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://en.3tene.com/

Bitwig Studio 4.4.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.bitwig.com/download/

iTunes 12.12.5.8 adds support for newer iOS and iPad OS version. This is not a security update.
https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Plex Desktop 1.56.2.3345 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-app

Plex Home Theater 1.28.3.3355 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-app

Plex Media Server 1.29.2.6364 resolves several bugs. This is 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 14.3.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.epicgames.com/

Lego Studio 2.22.10.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.lego.com/en-us/ldd

Nintendo Switch 15.0.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22525/kw/system%20updates/p/989

Steam 2022.10.18 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.steampowered.com/platform/update_history/index.php?skin=0&id=0

SteamOS 3.3.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1675200/

Office Updates

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

Adobe Illustrator 27.0 and 26.5.1 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb22-56.html

Adobe Reader DC 22.003.20263 improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://get.adobe.com/reader

Calibre 6.8.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://calibre-ebook.com/

IcoFX 3.8.1 fixes jpg editor and removes shape editor. This is not a security update.
https://icofx.ro/

Krita 5.1.3 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://krita.org/en/download/krita-desktop/

Kindle for PC 1.39.65323 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.amazon.com/kindleforpc

LibreOffice 7.3.7 resolves over two dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Nextcloud Desktop 3.6.1 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Notepad++ 8.4.7 resolves the “make my printer bleed” bug, as well as several other bugs. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Sage Timeslips 30.0.4.84 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://na.sage.com/Sage-Timeslips/Support

Security Software Updates

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

Chainsaw 2.2.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/countercept/chainsaw

HTTP Toolkit 1.12.0 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://httptoolkit.tech/

IISCrypto 3.3.17 adds TLS 1.3, new cipher suites, and updates templates. This is not a security update.
https://www.nartac.com/Products/IISCrypto/Download

MalwareBytes Anti-Malware 4.5.17 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/

OpenSSL (SLP) 3.0.7 is a security update.
https://slproweb.com/products/Win32OpenSSL.html

OpenSSL 1.1.1s is a security update.
https://www.openssl.org/source/

OpenSSL 3.0.7 is a security update.
https://www.openssl.org/source/

ProtonVPN 3.0.5 (macOS) is a security update.
https://protonvpn.com/download

ReactOS 0.4.14.31 resolves dozens of bugs. This is a security update.
https://reactos.org/

Tails 5.6 is a security update.
https://tails.boum.org/install/dvd/index.en.html

uBlock Origin 1.45.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/latest

Zorin OS 16.2 improves compatibility, updates libraries, upgrades LibreOffice, and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://zorin.com/os/mirrors/

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Open Broadcaster Software 28.1.2 improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://obsproject.com/

SnagIt 23.0.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://download.techsmith.com/snagit/releases/snagit.msi

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

PDF Creator 5.0.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.pdfforge.org/pdfcreator

StreamFab 6.0.0.1 resolves several bugs and improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/downloader-new.htm

DVDFab 12.0.9.1 adds support for new encodings. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/download.htm

Education updates

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

Zotero 6.0.17 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 8.9.8 resolves several bugs and adds many new features. This is a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/mac/

1Password for Windows 8.9.8 resolves several bugs and adds many new features. This is a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/windows/

AOMEI Partition Assistant 9.12.0 adds support for moving BitLocker partitions, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.diskpart.com/

Beyond Compare 4.4.4.27058 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.scootersoftware.com/download.php?zz=dl4

Bitwarden 2022.10.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://bitwarden.com/

CCleaner 6.05.10110 improves stability and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ccleaner.com/

DesktopOK 10.44 improves tools. This is a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

Etcher 1.8.15 updates libraries. This is a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Fido 1.36 adds support for the latest build of Windows. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/pbatard/Fido/releases

Go 1.19.3 is a security update.
https://go.dev/

GoodSync 12.0.9 is a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

HWMonitor 1.47 adds support for newer hardware. This is not a security update.
https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

IsMyHdOK 3.77 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/IsMyHdOK

Kingston SSD Manager 1.5.2.5 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.kingston.com/us/support/technical/ssdmanager

Memtest86+ 6.00 is a new major version, with support for new hardware, and resolves many bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.memtest.org/

NetworkInterfacesView 1.25 adds enable/disable option and registry key details. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/network_interfaces.html

NetworkTrafficView 2.42 improves high-DPI mode. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/network_traffic_view.html

NTLite 2.3.8.8978 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

PowerToys 0.64.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

ProcessMonitor 3.92 adds an option to set the filter driver altitude from the command line. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon

Process Explorer 17.01 adds dark theme, multipane support, startup improvements and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

RoboForm 9.3.7 adds the ability to install updates without killing all the browsers and resolves several bugs. Be aware that this causes many browser extensions to fail until they’re reinstalled. This is not a security update.
https://www.roboform.com/

ScreenConnect 22.9.10231 adds several new controls and security improvements. This is a security update.
https://www.connectwise.com/software/control/download

Sysmon 14.11 resolves a stability bug. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sysmon

TeamViewer 15.35.7 doesn’t have a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.teamviewer.com/en-us/download/windows/

Unity 2022.1.21 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://unity3d.com/get-unity/download/archive

Windows 10 Upgrade 22H2 is a system update. This installs the latest build of Windows 10.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

WinAudit 3.4.3 resolves DNS bug. This is not a security update.
http://www.parmavex.co.uk/winaudit.html

WizTree 4.11 adds a Today filter, now supports quoting in filters, and resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.diskanalyzer.com/

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

AutoHotkey 1.1.35.00 resolves several bugs and backports several features. This is not a security update.
https://www.autohotkey.com/download/

Docker Desktop 4.13.1 improves compatibility, upgrades libraries and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

GitHub Desktop 3.1.2 updates embedded engine. This is not a security update.
https://desktop.github.com/

Node.js 14.21.1 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 16.18.1 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 18.12.1 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 19.0.1 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Visual Studio Code 1.73 adds include/exclude folders to search, shortcuts to Command Center, merge editor improvements and several other fixes. This is not a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

Virtual Machine Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

VirtualBox 7.0.2 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.

Joomla 4.2.5 is a security update.
https://www.joomla.org/

phpList 3.6.10 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.phplist.org/

Piwigo 13.1.0 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://piwigo.org/

WordPress 6.1 adds a new default theme, new templates, improved design controls, menu editing, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/

Autoptimize 3.1.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/autoptimize/

BuddyPress 10.6.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/buddypress/

Contact Form 7 5.6.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/contact-form-7/

Idea Publisher 1.0.6 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/idea-publisher/

NextScripts Social Networks Auto-Poster 4.4.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/social-networks-auto-poster-facebook-twitter-g/

Redirection 5.3.5 resolves a language bug. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/redirection/

W3 Total Cache 2.2.7 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/w3-total-cache/

WooCommerce 7.0.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/woocommerce/

WPBakery 6.10.0 resolves over a dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wpbakery.com/

WP Plugin Update Checker 5.0 switches from classes to namespaces, adds VCS controls, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/YahnisElsts/plugin-update-checker/releases/latest

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

Regards,

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

Updates 2022-08-09

Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for August, 2022. This is a much lighter month, but there are still over a hundred large hacking victims, two hundred updates and a little over 3.5 GB in updates today.

This Month in Technology

7-Eleven, 70 Lenovo laptop models, Acts Retirement Services, Inc. and Affiliates, Aetna ACE, alio.lt, Allegheny Health Network, Atlassian Confluence Server, Audius, Avamere Health Services LLC, Avamere Holdings, Axie Infinity, Azure Site Recovery, Bandai Namco, Battlefy, Belgian Ministry of Defense, Bellingham Public Library, Benefit Plan Administrators, Inc., Benson Health, BHG Behavioral Health Group, BHG Holdings, LLC, Black Swan State Theatre Company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Bronx Accountable Healthcare Network, Cavender Stores, Ltd Health Plan, Center for Primary Care, Centerstone, Central Maine Medical Center, Cisco Small Business VPN routers, City of Newport, Cleartrip, Colorado Springs Utilities, Conifer Value-Based Care, LLC, Creos Luxembourg S.A., Deakin University, deBridge Finance, governments and organizations in the defense industry, DHS Emergency Alert System, DrayTek routers, East Valley Ophthalmology, Elastix VoIP, Entrust, Eskimi, Famm, First Choice Community Health Care, Inc., Florida Springs Surgery Center, German Chambers of Industry and Commerce, Granbury Eye Clinic, Healthback Holdings, LLC, JukinMedia, Klaviyo, Knauf Group, L’Agenzia delle Entrate, La Poste Mobile, Lawson Products, Inc., Lopes, Magie Mabrey Hughes Eye Clinic, P.A., MBDA, Mecho Download, MiCODUS GPS trackers, Minuteman Senior Services, Mooresville Schools, Neopets, NetStandard, Newfoundland and Labrador English School District, Nomad, NuLife Med, LLC, OneTouchPoint, Orthopedic Specialists of North America, PLLC, Perth Festival, Pixlr, Policybazaar, PPCGeeks, Prefeitura Municipal de Itapermirim, Premere Infinity Rehab, LLC, Premint, PrestaShop, Professional Finance Company, QuestionPro, Radiation Oncology Centers of the Carolinas, hundreds of restaurants, Scott County, Iowa, Semikron, Slack, Slope, Solana, Southwest Behavioral & Health Services, Spanish National Research Council, Synergic Healthcare Solutions, LLC, T-Mobile, Taiwanese Government, TAVR Media, The Bronx Accountable Healthcare Network, Tuned Global, Twilio, Twitter, Uniswap Liquidity Pool, US DOJ, Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, WA ballet, WA opera, Washington University School of Medicine, Wooton Upper School, Zenith American Solutions, and Zimbra have reportedly been hacked or compromised this month.

Microsoft 365 (and again), Microsoft Access, Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams (and 365 again), Google, Oracle, Twitter, and the UK NHS have had major outages this month.

Google is blocking the ACMMicrosoft broke USB printing. There’s yet another novel method to extract data from air-gapped systems. And Meta (Facebook) is in hot water again, this time for collecting private medical information from within patient portals.

Now for the good news:

A million disinformation bots have been disabled. This still leaves primarily the MSM to disinform us.

Windows 8.1 only has a few months of support left. Upgrade to Windows 10 now.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

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

Microsoft released updates to address 65 vulnerabilities in .NET Core, Active Directory Domain Services, Azure Batch Node Agent, Azure Real Time Operating System, Azure Site Recovery, Azure Sphere, Microsoft ATA Port Driver, Microsoft Bluetooth Driver, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Office Outlook, Microsoft Windows Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT), Remote Access Service Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, System Center Operations Manager, Visual Studio, Windows Bluetooth Service, Windows Canonical Display Driver, Windows Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver, Windows Defender Credential Guard, Windows Digital Media, Windows Error Reporting, Windows Fax Service, Windows Hello, Windows Hyper-V, Windows Internet Information Services, Windows Kerberos, Windows Kernel, Windows Local Security Authority (LSA), Windows Network File System, Windows Partition Management Driver, Windows Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, Windows Print Spooler Components, Windows Secure Boot, Windows Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP), Windows Storage Spaces Direct, Windows Unified Write Filter, Windows WebBrowser Control, Windows Win32K, and MSRT (~ 3 GB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Apple released updates for Safari 15.6, iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, macOS Monterey 12.5, macOS Big Sur 11.6.8, Security Update 2022-005 Catalina, tvOS 15.6, and watchOS 8.7. This includes security updates. Use Apple Software Update to install these updates. A reboot is required.

iOS 15.6 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

iPadOS 15.6 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

tvOS 15.6 is a security update. Use System, Software Update to install the most current version.

watchOS 8.7 are security updatess. Use the Watch app on your iPhone to install the most current version.

Google Chrome OS 104.0.5112.83 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 12 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.

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 12 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.

AMD Adrenalin 22.7.1 adds support for newer hardware, resolves several bugs and improves performance. This is not a security update.
https://www.amd.com/en/support

BullZip PDF Printer 14.0.0.2938 adds support for TLS3, updates libraries, and resolves bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.bullzip.com/products/pdf/info.php#download

Drivers by Seagull 2022.2 adds support for over 240 new printer models, resolves a compatibility bug, and adds support for RFID TID and creating custom printer commands. This is not a security update.
https://www.seagullscientific.com/support/downloads/drivers/

Display Driver Uninstaller 18.0.5.4 improves cleanup. This is not a security update.
https://www.wagnardsoft.com/display-driver-uninstaller-ddu

Logitech Options 9.70.68 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://support.logi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025297893

Nvidia Driver 473.81 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 1.42.88 is a security update.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 104.0.5112.81 is a security update.
https://www.google.com/chrome/

Microsoft Edge 104.0.1293.47 is a security update.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 103.0.2 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Firefox ESR 91.12.0 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/

Vivaldi 5.3.2679.70 is a security update.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

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

Thunderbird 102.1.2 is a security update.
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

Mailspring 1.10.4 resolves compatibility issues, adds 64-bit, Apple Silicon M1 and M2 support, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://getmailspring.com/

Internet Updates

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

AnyDesk 7.0.13 resolves a cosmetic bug. This is not a security update.
https://anydesk.com/en/downloads

Dropbox 154.4.5363 improves reliability and consistency, adds external device indication and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

Facebook Messenger 156.0.0.21.216 is a security update.
https://www.messenger.com/download

FileZilla Client 3.60.2 updates libraries to address stability bug. This is not a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

FileZilla Server 1.5.1 improves reliability and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

FreeFileSync 11.23 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.freefilesync.org/download.php

Google Drive 61.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://drive.google.com/start

Java 8u341 is a security update.
https://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

Nextcloud Server 24.0.3 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Omada Software Controller 5.4.6 adds support for new protocols, newer hardware, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/omada-software-controller/

Qbox 4.0.5.20 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.coraltreetech.com/qbox

Rclone 1.59.1 resolves almost two dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://rclone.org/

Signal 5.53.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://signal.org/download/windows/

Skype 8.86.0.409 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.skype.com/

Syncthing 1.20.4 resolves a couple bugs and improves CLI support. This is not a security update.
https://syncthing.net/

WinSCP 5.21.2 is a security update.
https://winscp.net/eng/index.php

Zoom 5.11.4.7185 improves reliability and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

3tene 3.0.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://en.3tene.com/

Plex Desktop 1.50.1.3185 resolves several bugs and improves controls. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-app

Plex Home Theater 1.22.1.3169 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-app

Plex Media Server 1.28.0.5999 adds support for Apple Silicon, many improvements to music handling, and resolves a compatibility bug with Microsoft’s linker. 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 14.1.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.epicgames.com/

GameMaker Studio 2022.6.1.26 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.yoyogames.com/en/gamemaker

Lego Studio 2.22.7.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.lego.com/en-us/ldd

Steam 2022.07.27 resolves dozens of bugs and improves compatibility. 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-p4, 2.4.3-p3, 2.4.4-p1, and 2.4.5 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/magento/apsb22-38.html

Adobe Acrobat and Reader 22.002.20191, 20.005.30381, and 17.012.30262 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb22-39.html

Adobe Illustrator 26.4 and 25.4.7 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb22-41.html

Adobe FrameMaker 15.0.8 and 16.0.4 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/framemaker/apsb22-42.html

Adobe Premiere Elements 20220702 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/premiere_elements/apsb22-43.html

Calibre 6.2.1 adds support for newer hardware, improves full text search, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://calibre-ebook.com/

Essential Forms 2022.07.20 is the summer data update. This is not a security update.
https://help.ceb.com/en/collections/2482118-essential-forms

Inkscape 1.2.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://inkscape.org/release/

Kindle for PC 1.38.65290 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.amazon.com/kindleforpc

LibreOffice Fresh 7.3.5 resolves over 80 bugs. This is not a security update. The Fresh line is beta software. I recommend you use LibreOffice “Still” to get the most stable version.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Nextcloud Desktop 3.5.4 adds proper silent installation support. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Notepad++ 8.4.4 resolves a find-in-files bug. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

OpenOffice 4.1.13 is a security update. If you’re still using OpenOffice please consider switching to LibreOffice. OpenOffice has only had sporadic security updates for the last several years and there’s no sign of that changing.
https://www.openoffice.org/download/

PDF-XChange Editor 9.4.362.0 adds dozens of new features and resolves a lot of bugs. This is 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.

FSS 2022.7.18 adds support for newer platforms. This is not a security update.
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/farbar-service-scanner/dl/62

HTTP Toolkit 1.10.0 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://httptoolkit.tech/

MalwareBytes Anti-Malware 4.5.12 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/

MalwareBytes Anti-Malware Mac 4.16.7 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac/

ProtonVPN 2.0.5 improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://protonvpn.com/download

QubesOS 4.1.1 is a security update.
https://www.qubes-os.org/downloads/

Tails 5.3.1 is a security update.
https://tails.boum.org/install/dvd/index.en.html

YARA 4.2.3 is a security update.
https://github.com/VirusTotal/yara/

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

SnagIt 22.1.1 adds support for WebP, PiP, OBS, resizable arrowheads, and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://download.techsmith.com/snagit/releases/snagit.msi

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 12.0.8.1 adds support for new encodings and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/download.htm

MakeMKV 1.17.1 adds support for new encodings, improves stability, and resolve several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.makemkv.com/download/

PDF Creator 4.4.3 updates the associated PDF Architect installer and uses a new application signature. This is not a security update.
https://www.pdfforge.org/pdfcreator

StreamFab 5.0.4.7 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/downloader-new.htm

Education updates

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

Zotero 6.0.10 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.zotero.org/

Zotero (macOS) 6.0.11 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 8.8.0 improves import support, additional browser support, accessibility improvements, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/mac/

1Password for Windows 8.8.0 improves import support, additional browser support, accessibility improvements, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/windows/

7-Zip 22.01 improves UDF, HFS and APFS support. This is not a security update.
https://www.7-zip.org/

AOMEI Partition Assistant 9.9.0 resolves several bugs and adds PC Cleaner. This is not a security update.
https://www.diskpart.com/

AstroGrep 4.4.8 is a security update.
http://astrogrep.sourceforge.net/

Beyond Compare 4.4.3.26655 is a security update.
https://www.scootersoftware.com/download.php?zz=dl4

BgInfo 4.31 fixes a compatibility bug. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/bginfo

CCleaner 6.02.9938 adds support for cleaning new applications, improvements in existing application cleaning, and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.ccleaner.com/

DesktopOK 10.01 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

DevManView 1.77 resolves a data export bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/device_manager_view.html

Everything CLI 1.1.0.24 improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://www.voidtools.com/

Git SCM 2.37.1 is a security update.
https://git-scm.com/

GoodSync 11.11.7 resolves several bugs. This should be treated as a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

Kingston SSD Manager 1.5.2.0 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.kingston.com/us/support/technical/ssdmanager

NTLite 2.3.7.8826 adds support for new builds, new components and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

OSForensics 10.0.1003 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.osforensics.com/download.html

osquery 5.4.0 resolves several bugs, improves compatibility and adds support for several new engines. This is a security update.
https://osquery.io/downloads

PowerToys 0.61.1 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

Process Monitor 3.91 fixes a compatibility bug. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon

Recuva 1.53.2083 updates license integration. This is not a security update.
https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva

Rufus 3.20 resolves several compatibility bugs. This is not a security update.
https://rufus.ie/en_US/

ScreenConnect 22.6.8722.8249 improves stability and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.connectwise.com/software/control/download

SearchMyFiles 3.21 improves high-DPI support. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/search_my_files.html

Sigcheck 2.90 adds custom code integrity policy checks. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sigcheck

TeamViewer 15.32.3 adds remote terminal sessions to the Instant Connect bar, and resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.teamviewer.com/en-us/download/windows/

Unity 2022.1.12 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://unity3d.com/get-unity/download/archive

Windows 11 RCT 1.5.0 adds support for newer hardware and resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://bytejams.com/

WinScan2PDF 8.01 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/WinScan2PDF

Zoomit 6.01 fixes a compatibility bug. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/zoomit

ZoomText 2022 2022.2207.14.400 resovles 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.

Android Studio 2021.2.1.16 resolves a dozen bugs. This is a security update.
https://developer.android.com/studio

GitHub Desktop 3.0.5 updates libraries and resolves a warning. This is not a security update.
https://desktop.github.com/

Go 1.18.5 and Go 1.19 are security updates. Go 1.19 is a major update adding several new features and improvements, as well as updating libraries.
https://go.dev/

MySQL Server 8.0.30 is a security update.
https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/installer/

MySQL ConnectorNet 8.0.30 is a security update.
https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/net/

Node.js 18.7.0 resolves dozens of bugs. This is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Rustup 1.25.1 resolves a build order bug. This should be treated as a security update.
https://www.rust-lang.org/

SQLite 3.39.2 is a security update.
https://www.sqlite.org/download.html

Visual Studio Code 1.70 adds support for custom folded sections, tree views and filters, terminal improvements and other fixes. This is is not a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

Virtual Machine Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

PPSSPP 1.13.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://ppsspp.org/downloads.html

VirtualBox 6.1.36 resolves dozens of 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 11.18.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://dadamailproject.com/

Drupal 9.3.19 is a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

Drupal 9.4.5 is a library security update.
https://drupal.org/download

HumHub 1.12.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.humhub.com/en/download

OpenPetra 2022.07 resolves several bugs and improves security checking. This should be treated as a security update.
https://www.openpetra.org/

Akismet 5.0 improves spam detection. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/akismet/

Autoptimize 3.1.0 is a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/autoptimize/

Contact Form 7 5.6.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/contact-form-7/

Duplicator 1.4.7.1 is a security update.
https://wordpress.org/plugins/duplicator/#developers

NextScripts Social Networks Auto-Poster 4.3.30 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/social-networks-auto-poster-facebook-twitter-g/

Redirection 5.3.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/redirection/

Show IDs 1.1.9 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wpsite-show-ids/

Social Post Feed 4.1.5 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/custom-facebook-feed/

Sucuri Security 1.8.33 improves cache cleaning. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sucuri-scanner/

W3 Total Cache 2.2.4 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/w3-total-cache/

WooCommerce 6.7.0 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/woocommerce/

WP Mail SMTP 3.5.1 resolves a bug. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-mail-smtp/

WPtouch 4.3.42 resolves a menu bug. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wptouch/

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

Regards,

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

 

Updates 2022-07-12

Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for July, 2022. You know how you say something like “biggest update series in well over a year” and the next month just blows that out of the water? We’re there now.

This Month in Technology

Advocates, Inc., Aerojet Rocketdyne, Alabama Eye & Cataract, P.C., Alameda Health System, Aloha Laser Vision, Amagasaki, Japan, Amazon Photos, AMD, Anker Eufy, Aon, Aruba Networks Switches, ATC Healthcare, Bangladeshi government, Bank of the West, Baptist Medical Center and Resolute Health Hospital, Bayhealth Medical Center, Inc., BeanVPN, Benefit Plan Administrators, Inc., Bookchor, Bourse des Vols, Capital Economics, Carnival Corporation, Carolina Behavioral Health Alliance, Carolina Eyecare Physicians, LLC, Catholic Health System, Center for Sight, Inc., Central Florida Inpatient Medicine, Charlotte Radiology, Cherry Creek Eye Physicians and Surgeons, P.C., CHRISTUS Spohn Health System Corporation, Cisco Secure Email, Cisco VPN routers, Citrix Application Delivery Management, CoDeSys Automation Software, Community of Hope D.C., Crema Finance, Customer.io, Disneyland’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, DivX SubTitles, Django, DTEK Group, ExpressLRS, Fast Shop, Flagstar Bank, Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association, Foxhall Ob Gyn Associates, Geographic Solutions, Gol Tours LTD, Grab, Harmony, Hillrom Medical, Honda cars, Hudson Regional Hospital, IBM, Ignitis Group, Indian Flood Monitors, Indian government, thousands of industrial devices, Israeli Defense, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington, Kaiser Permanente, Kernersville Eye Surgeons, P.C., Khouzestan Steel Company, almost a million Kubernetes clusters, La Poste Mobile, Latvian government, Lithuanian government, Long Vision Center, Macmillan Publishing, Mangatoon, Marriott International, Massachusetts Child and Family Services, Inc., Mattax Neu Prater Eye Center, Inc., MCG Health and Eye Care Leaders, Medical University of Innsbruck, MEGA, Michigan Avenue Immediate Care, Microsoft Azure FabricScape, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Windows Domain Servers, Mitel VoIP, New Jersey Health Information Management, Nichirin-Flex U.S.A., North American Spine Society, Norway govt sites, OpenSea, OrthoNebraska, Phelps Care Regional Medical Center, Preferred Hospital Leasing Coleman Inc., Professional Finance Company, Renton School District, Resolute Health Hospital, Rodeo Pharmacy Inc, Shanghai National Police, Sharper Vision P.A., SHI International, Shoprite, Sight Partners Physicians, P.C., Sophos Firewall, Southwest Health Center, St Joseph Heritage Health, Stanford University, Stokes Regional Eye Centers, TB Kawashima, The People Concern, The Vicksburg Clinic, LLC, Tosoh America, Inc., UK Army’s Twitter & YouTube, UNC Lenoir Health Care, University of Pisa, University Pediatric Dentistry, US Bank, Walmart, WellDyneRx, LLC, Wiltshire Farm Foods, Yodel, Yuma Regional Medical Center, and Zimbra reportedly been hacked or compromised this month.

Some vendors, like CafePress, simply don’t care about security – and do their best to conceal when they’re hacked. I contacted them to report when they were hacked back in 2014 and they ignored me. Sigh.

Microsoft 365, Cloudflare, Microsoft Teams, Rogers (it was a big one), and Microsoft Office / OneDrive had widespread outages.

Facebook is collecting the patient data of millions, and is also blocking the link to the Facebook settlement class action website. You think they would have learned.

Attackers are using Google Chrome Extension fingerprinting to uniquely identify you. This method works in any Chromium browser.

Spam is still the #1 method of exploiting users. Whether it is a fake renewal notice, fake copyright complaints, or fake invoice, most spams will include a fake login form or a fake support number. In both cases they depend on the user to actually enter the login details or call the scammer to fall prey to their attacks. Online development environments are even being used for these attacks.

Counterfeit hardware can be far more dangerous than the real thing. Even though some vendors only support their hardware a few years before you have to replace it,  counterfeits are never supported and often have malicious implants.

Microsoft has rolled back (temporarily) their decision to block macros by default.

MITRE staff didn’t understand that publishing vulnerable sites, not just vulnerability information was bad, while a HackerOne employee was selling exploits before they were published, and an Amazon employee installed cryptominers on Capital One servers. Adobe is using malware traits to block antivirus software from scanning PDF files. How quickly these organizations can shatter their trust.

Here’s a great example of how a single vulnerability will be used to get far deeper into your network and hardware.

Storing your password directly in the browser is dangerous. Use a password manager.

Now for the good news:

 

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Patch Tuesday is huge this month. The typical computer should see roughly 3 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates to address 74 vulnerabilities in Azure Site Recovery, Azure Storage Library, DNS Server, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Graphics Component, Microsoft Lync, Microsoft Office, Open Source Software, Skype for Business, Windows Active Directory, Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call, Windows BitLocker, Windows Boot Manager, Windows Client/Server Runtime Subsystem, Windows Connected Devices Platform Service, Windows Credential Guard, Windows Fast FAT Driver, Windows Fax and Scan Service, Windows Fax Service, Windows Group Policy, Windows Hyper-V, Windows IIS, Windows Kernel, Windows Media, Windows Network File System, Windows Performance Counters, Windows Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, Windows Portable Device Enumerator Service, Windows Print Spooler Components, Windows Remote Procedure Call Runtime, Windows Security Account Manager, Windows Server Service, Windows Shell, Windows Storage, XBox, and MSRT (~3 GB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Google Chrome OS 103.0.5060.114 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 12 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.

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 12 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.

AMD Adrenalin 22.6.1 adds support for newer hardware. This is not a security update.
https://www.amd.com/en/support

Crucial Storage Executive 7.12 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.crucial.com/support/storage-executive

Display Driver Uninstaller 18.0.5.2 improves cleanup. This is not a security update.
https://www.wagnardsoft.com/display-driver-uninstaller-ddu

Intel Driver and Support Assistant 22.4.26 improves user interface. This is not a security update.
https://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/detect

Samsung DeX 2.4.0.29 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.samsung.com/us/apps/dex/

Browser Updates

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

Brave 1.41.96 is a security update.
https://brave.com/

SeaMonkey 2.53.13 is a security update.
https://www.seamonkey-project.org/

Google Chrome 103.0.5060.114 is a security update.
https://www.google.com/chrome/

Microsoft Edge 103.0.1264.51 is a security update.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 102.0.1 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Firefox ESR 91.11.0 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/

Vivaldi 5.3.2679.68 is a security update.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

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

OutlookAttachView 3.45 adds a command-line option to control columns in exports. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/outlook_attachment.html

Thunderbird 102.0.2 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.

curl 7.84.0 resolves over a hundred bugs. This is a security update.
https://curl.haxx.se/windows/

Dropbox 152.4.4880 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

Facebook Messenger 153.0.0.19.110 is a security update.
https://www.messenger.com/download

FreeFileSync 11.22 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.freefilesync.org/download.php

Google Drive 60.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://drive.google.com/start

Nextcloud Server 24.0.2 updates libraries, and resolves over 50 bugs. This is a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Npcap 1.70 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nmap.org/npcap/

Rclone 1.59.0 adds support for new backends, metadata framework, resolves several bugs, and updates libraries. This is not a security update.
https://rclone.org/

Signal 5.49.0 doesn’t provide a detailed changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://signal.org/download/windows/

Skype 8.85.0.409 improves their propaganda tools and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.skype.com/

Syncthing 1.20.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://syncthing.net/

Technitium DNS Server 8.1.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://technitium.com/dns/

Telegram 4.0.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://telegram.org/

WinSCP 5.21.2 is a security update.
https://winscp.net/eng/index.php

Zoom 5.11.1.6602 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

3tene 3.0.2 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://en.3tene.com/

darktable 4.0.0 is a major update. This version improves color space, exposure, contrast controls and hundreds of other features, as well as resolving over 100 issues. This should be treated as a security update.
https://www.darktable.org/

Picard 2.8.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://picard.musicbrainz.org/

Plex Desktop 1.48.2.3124 adds option to disable some Discover features, resolves several bugs with Search and Watchlist. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-app

Plex Home Theater 1.20.2.3110 resolves a stability bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.plex.tv/media-server-downloads/#plex-app

Plex Media Server 1.27.2.5929 improves logging, adds support for Musicbrainz tags, 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 14.1.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.epicgames.com/

GameMaker Studio 2022.6.0.23 adds Feather support, room editor filters, additional extension features, and resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.yoyogames.com/en/gamemaker

Lego Studio 2.22.6.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.lego.com/en-us/ldd

PlayStation PS5 22.01-05.50.00 resolves several bugs and improves performance. This is not a security update.
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps5/system-software/

PlayStation PS4 9.60 improves performance. This is not a security update.
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps4/system-software/

Office Updates

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

Adobe RoboHelp RH2020.0.8 is a security update.
https://www.adobe.com/support/robohelp/downloads.html

Adobe Acrobat and Reader 22.001.20169, 20.005.30362, and 17.012.30249 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb22-32.html

Adobe Character Animator 22.5 is a security update.
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/catalog/desktop.html

Adobe Photoshop 22.5.8 and 23.4.1 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/photoshop/apsb22-35.html

Artweaver 7.0.13 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.artweaver.de/

Calibre 6.0 is a major update. This version adds full text search, new hardware support and performance improvements, a new URL scheme, and read-aloud support. It also removed 32-bit support. This is not a security update.
https://calibre-ebook.com/

Gimp 2.10.32 adds HiDPI, high bit-depth and multi-threading support, dark theme, improved color control, masking, and warp. This is not a security update.
https://www.gimp.org/

Kindle for PC 1.37.65274 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.amazon.com/kindleforpc

Nextcloud Desktop 3.5.2 resolves over a dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Notepad++ 8.4.3 adds option to limit search results to one line per file, adds EOL customization, adds new document shortcuts, and resolves several bugs. 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.

Intel CSMEVDT 7.0.2.0 resolves a documentation error. This is not a security update.
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19392/28632/intel-converged-security-and-management-engine-version-detection-tool-intel-csmevdt.html

FSS 2022.6.14 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/farbar-service-scanner/dl/62/

Gpg4win 4.0.3 is a security update.
https://www.gpg4win.org/download.html

HTTP Toolkit 1.9.0 improves issue tracking and feedback. This is not a security update.
https://httptoolkit.tech/

MalwareBytes Anti-Malware 4.5.10.200 is a security update.
https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/

OpenSSL (SLP) 3.0.5 is a security update.
https://slproweb.com/products/Win32OpenSSL.html

OpenSSL 1.1.1q is a security update.
https://www.openssl.org/source/

ProtonVPN 2.0.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://protonvpn.com/download

ProtonVPN (macOS) 3.0.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://protonvpn.com/download

SanDisk PrivateAccess 6.3.10 does not provide a changelog so should be considered a security update.
https://kb.sandisk.com/app/answersweb/detailweb/a_id/21996

Tails 5.2 is a security update.
https://tails.boum.org/install/dvd/index.en.html

YARA 4.2.2 is a security update.
https://github.com/VirusTotal/yara/

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

SnagIt 22.1.0 adds several new features, improves performance, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://download.techsmith.com/snagit/releases/snagit.msi

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 12.0.7.8 adds support for new encodings and resolves several stability bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/download.htm

iMazing HEIC Converter 2.0.0 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be considered a security update.
https://imazing.com/heic

IsoBuster 5.0 is a major update that adds a 64-bit version, high-DPI scaling, themes, improved media support and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.isobuster.com/download.php

MakeMKV 1.17.0 improves reliability, adds support for new encodings, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.makemkv.com/download/

Education updates

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

Zotero 6.0.9 adds PDF rotation and 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 Windows 8.7.3 is a major update adding several new cosmetic and integration improvements, and search and filter options. This is a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/windows/

1Password for Mac 8.7.3 is a major update adding several new cosmetic and integration improvements, and search and filter options. This is a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/mac/

7-Zip 22.00 adds support for APFS, pax, adds zone.id, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.7-zip.org/

8GadgetPack 35.0 improves compatibility, adds keyboard shortcuts, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://8gadgetpack.net/

Agent Ransack 2022.3335 adds new columns, improves view state restoration, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/download/

CCleaner 6.01.9825 adds support for new apps and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ccleaner.com/

Dell OS Recovery Tool 2.3.7012.0 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.dell.com/support/home/uk/en/ukbsdt1/drivers/osiso/recoverytool

DesktopOK 9.97 expands toolset. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

dnGrep 3.0.84.0 adds personalization, search statistics, Excel row numbers, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://dngrep.github.io/

dupeGuru 4.3.1 resolves a false duplication detection bug. This should be treated as a security update if you use dupeGuru to remove duplicate files.
https://dupeguru.voltaicideas.net/

FileLocator Pro 2022.3335 adds new columns, improves view state restoration, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.mythicsoft.com/filelocatorpro/download

Git SCM 2.37.0 resolves several bugs and improves CLI support. This is a security update.
https://git-scm.com/

GoodSync 11.11.5 resolves dozens of bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

Intel CPU Diagnostic 4.1.7.39 adds tests for newer hardware, resolves several bugs, and updates components. This is not a security update.
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/15951/intel-processor-diagnostic-tool.html

IsMyHdOK 3.66 improves compatibility and SSD/SSHD detection. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/IsMyHdOK

NTLite 2.3.6.8804 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

PointerStick 5.88 improves support for virtual desktops and multiple screens. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/PointerStick

PowerToys 0.60.0 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

RoboForm 9.3.3 adds (and resolves bugs within) OTP feature, improves search, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.roboform.com/

Rufus 3.19 adds an option for setup customization, updates drivers, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://rufus.ie/en_US/

SearchMyFiles 3.20 adds filename length filter. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/search_my_files.html

Synergy 1.14.5 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://symless.com/synergy/

TeamViewer 15.31.5 improves video experience and adds remote terminal to the Computers & Contacts list. This is not a security update.
https://www.teamviewer.com/en-us/download/windows/

Unity 2022.1.8 updates libraries and resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://unity3d.com/get-unity/download/archive

WhyNotWin11 2.5.0.1 resovles several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/rcmaehl/WhyNotWin11

WifiInfoView 2.77 improves high-DPI support. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html

ZoomText 2022.2206.7.400 adds languages 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.

GitHub Desktop 3.0.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://desktop.github.com/

Node.js 18.5.0 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 16.16.0 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 14.20.0 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Rustup 1.25.0 adds support for arm64, improved integration and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.rust-lang.org/

Redemption 6.2.0.6122 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.dimastr.com/redemption/

SQLite 3.39.0 adds support for right and full outer join, distinct from, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.sqlite.org/download.html

Visual Studio Code 1.69.1 adds 3-way merge, improved command center UI for search, DND mode, and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

Web Package Updates

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

Drupal 9.3.18 is a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

Drupal 9.4.0 is a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

HumHub 1.11.4 is a security update.
https://www.humhub.com/en/download

Joomla 4.1.5 resolves several bugs. This is the last of the 4.1 series. This is not a security update.
https://www.joomla.org/

jQuery 3.6.0
https://code.jquery.com/

MailEnable 10.40 updates libraries and resolves over a dozen bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.mailenable.com/

Piwigo 12.3.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://piwigo.org/

WordPress 6.0.1 resolves over two dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/

Akismet 4.2.5 resolves a bug. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/akismet/

Antispam Bee 2.11.1 cleans up code. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/antispam-bee/

Contact Form 7 5.6 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/contact-form-7/

Duplicator 1.4.7 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/plugins/duplicator/#developers

Interactive World Map 3.2.0 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/interactive-world-map/

Postie 1.9.61 resolves a MIME warning. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/postie/

NextScripts Social Networks Auto-Poster 4.3.26 is a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/social-networks-auto-poster-facebook-twitter-g/

Slider Revolution 6.5.25 resolves a dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://revolution.themepunch.com/

Sucuri Security 1.8.32 is a critical security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sucuri-scanner/

W3 Total Cache 2.2.3 is a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/w3-total-cache/

WooCommerce 6.6.1 resolves dozens of bugs. This is a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/woocommerce/

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

Regards,

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

 

Updates 2022-01-11

Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for January, 2022.

It’s a big one. This month has been insane. There’s always a surge in hacking events near holidays, but this month had almost double the *known* hacking events from previous months. What’s worse is that many of the vulnerabilities used were known weeks and sometimes years in advance, though the patches were not yet installed or the specific applications and services were simply not being maintained or secured. Grrrr.

This Month in Technology

A New Leaf, Inc., Advocate Aurora HealthAlabama Department of Rehabilitation ServicesAll in One SEOAmediaAndrew Sauchelli, DMDApache httpdApple Blossom Family PracticeAzure App ServiceBansley and Kiener (B&K), Belgium’s MilitaryBernalillo CountyBioPlus Specialty Pharmacy Services LLCBrazil’s Health MinistryBroward HealthC.E. Niehoff & CompanyChaddockCiox HealthCommission on ElectionsCOVID-19 Home TestsCrawford County Assessors OfficeDaniel J. Edelman Holdings, Inc., DatPiff, The De Montfort SchoolDouglas C Morrow ODPCDuneland School CorporationEvanston Township High SchoolExpresso and SICFertility Centers of Illinois, PLLC, FinalSiteFlexBookerFlorida Digestive Health Specialists LLP, Forensic Science IrelandFresenius Kabi infusion pump systemsGarrett metal detectorsGeorgia Bone & Joint Surgeons, P.C., Google Docs Comment PlatformGrass Valley, CAGumtreeH2 DatabaseHellmann Worldwide LogisticsImpresaInetum GroupiPhone 13James Kagan, MDJefferson Surgical ClinicKearsarge Regional School DistrictLastPassLog4j (several times)Loyola University Medical CenterLuxemburg-Casco School DistrictmacOS powerdirMcMenaminsMedQuest Pharmacy, Inc., Microsoft Active DirectoryMicrosoft TeamsMonkey Kingdom (via Grape), Monongalia Health System Inc., Monroe Public SchoolsMonterey Peninsula Unified School DistrictNetgear NighthawkNorthwest Broward Orthopaedics AssociatesNorth Shore Hebrew Academy High SchoolOG department storeONUSOregon Eye SpecialistsPeck & Associates, PC, Pithadia Medical Professional Services, Inc., ProtempsPulseTVQNAPRavkooRedLine StealerRhode Island Public Transit AuthorityR.R. Donnelley & SonsRunning Warehouse LLC, Sainsbury’sSaltzer HealthSaskatchewan Liquor and Gaming AuthoritySEGAShelley School DistrictShutterflySkate Warehouse LLC, Skin Care Specialty PhysiciansSotheby’s Realty’s BrightcoveSouthern Orthopaedic AssociatesSpar StoresStandard BankSuperior PlusSurgery Group SCT-MobileTackle Warehouse LLC, Tennis Warehouse LCC, Tiyuli and LametayelUAW Retiree Medical Benefits TrustUberUbisoftUK Defence AcademyUltimate Kronos GroupUS Commission on International Religious FreedomUScellular, Utah Department of Health, Virginia Division of Capitol PoliceVirginia General AssemblyVolvoWalgreen Co., WD MyCloudWelfare, Pension and Annuity Funds of Local No. ONE, I.A.T.S.E., and Zoho UEM have been hacked.

Norton 360 is now opting you in for their CPU cryptomining if you have their software installed. The very same software designed to protect you from evildoers that would take advantage of your computer to do this kind of thing…is now doing it. Apple has released an Android app under the auspice of helping users discover Tracker devices that might be tracking them…by enabling your device to allow them to communicate with the Apple Tracker network. Firefox still doesn’t properly support OCSP stapling. Dell BIOS updates are crashing devices. Microsoft has integrated their own financing platform into Edge.

Microsoft rang in the new year by breaking Microsoft Exchange (on-prem) for every server that had filtering enabled (almost all of them). Microsoft acknowledged the problem about 20 hours after it began and released resolution steps by deleting and rebuilding the scanning engine about 31 hours after it began. Sonicwall, too.

CloudflareAWS, Twitch, Zoom, PSN, Slack, Hulu, Imgur have had extended outages this month.

Please, for all that is holy, check your backups!

Phishing is an ever-growing problem. Sophos reminds us how to check for scams like this.

Now for the good news:

Mozilla has added Secure DNS to Firefox, now enabled by default. Unfortunately, this bypasses DNS filtering options you may have assigned yourself – so if you use Firefox you’ll need to enable your own DoH URLs within the settings.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Patch Tuesday this month is pretty big. The typical computer should see roughly 3 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates for.NET Framework, Microsoft Dynamics, Edge, Exchange Server, Microsoft Office, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Active Directory, CLFS, Windows Cryptographic Services, Windows Defender, DirectX, Windows Installer, Windows RDP, Windows Remote Desktop, ReFS, Windows Security Center, Windows Storage Spaces, Windows Tile Data Repository, Windows UEFI, Windows User Profile Service, and MSRT (~2 GB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Apple released updates for Safari 15.2. This includes security updates. Use Apple Software Update to install these updates. A reboot is required.

Google Chrome OS 96.0.4664.111 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 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.

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.

Display Driver Uninstaller 18.0.4.7 removes support for Vista, updates libraries, and 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 1.34.80 is a security update.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 97.0.4692.71 is a security update.
https://www.google.com/chrome/

Microsoft Edge 97.0.1072.55 is a security update.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 96.0 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/

Firefox ESR 91.5.0 is a security update.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/

Iridium 2021.12.96 is a security update.
https://iridiumbrowser.de/

SeaMonkey 2.53.10.2 is a security update.
https://www.seamonkey-project.org/

Vivaldi 5.0.2497.35 is a security update.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

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

Thunderbird 91.5.0 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.

AnyDesk (macOS) 6.4.0 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://anydesk.com/en/downloads

curl 7.81.0 is a security update.
https://curl.haxx.se/windows/

Dropbox 139.4.4896 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

FileZilla Server 1.2.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

FreeFileSync 11.16 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.freefilesync.org/download.php

Omada Software Controller 5.0.29 is a security update.
https://www.tp-link.com/us/support/download/omada-software-controller/

Prosody 0.11.11 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://prosody.im/download/start

Syncthing 1.18.6 improves usability. This is not a security update.
https://syncthing.net/

Telegram 3.4.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://telegram.org/

Zoom 5.9.1.2581 is a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

darktable 3.8.0 makes nearly 4,000 changes including performance, bug fixes, new hardware support and more. This should be treated as a security update.
https://www.darktable.org/install/

Picard 2.7.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://picard.musicbrainz.org/

TuneIn 1.25.0 does not provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://tunein.com/radio/home/

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Steam 2022.12.16 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://store.steampowered.com/about/

Office Updates

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

Adobe Reader DC 21.011.20039 is a security update.
https://get.adobe.com/reader

Adobe Acrobat and Reader 21.011.20039, 20.004.30020, and 17.011.30207 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/acrobat/apsb22-01.html

Adobe Illustrator 26.0.2 and 25.4.3 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb22-02.html

Adobe Bridge 12.0.1 and 11.1.3 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/bridge/apsb22-03.html

Adobe InCopy 16.4.1 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/incopy/apsb22-04.html

Adobe InDesign 16.4.1 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/indesign/apsb22-05.html

Audacity 3.1.3 improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://www.audacityteam.org/download/

Krita 5.0.2 is a major update. This version adds several features, resolves bugs and improves stability and reliability. This is not a security update.
https://krita.org/en/download/krita-desktop/

LibreOffice Fresh 7.2.5 resolves almost 100 bugs. This is not a security update. The “Fresh” line is beta software and should be avoided in favor of the stable version (“Still”) by most users.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Nextcloud Desktop 3.4.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Notepad++ 8.2 improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Paint.net 4.3.7 resolves a stability bug. 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.

elementary OS 6.1
https://elementary.io/

Gpg4win 4.0.0 is a major update adding several new features and updates libraries. This is a security update.
https://www.gpg4win.org/download.html

KeePass 2.50 improves performance and generator, updates libraries, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://keepass.info/

OpenSSL 1.1.1m is a security update.
https://www.openssl.org/source/

OpenSSL 3.0.1 is a security update.
https://curl.se/windows/

OpenSSL 3.0.1 is a security update.
https://slproweb.com/products/Win32OpenSSL.html

ReactOS 0.4.13 provides over 250 bug fixes and improvements. This is not a security update.
https://reactos.org/

RogueKiller 15.1.5 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.adlice.com/download/roguekiller/

Tails 4.26 is a security update.
https://tails.boum.org/install/dvd-download/index.en.html

TinyWall 3.2.5 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://tinywall.pados.hu/

uBlock Origin 1.40.6 improves reliability. 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 2.35.4 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 1.5.1 updates libraries, resolves several bugs and improves stability and reliability. This is not a security update.
https://handbrake.fr/

IsoBuster 4.9 adds support for new hardware, new formats, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.isobuster.com/download.php

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

7-Zip 21.07 adds VHDX support, improved parameter handling and compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.7-zip.org/

Agent Ransack 2022.3283 improves performance and reliability, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.mythicsoft.com/agentransack/download/

Aomei Partition Assistant 9.6.0 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.diskpart.com/

Autoruns 14.07 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns

Active Directory Explorer 1.51 fixes a Windows Store packaging crash. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/adexplorer

CacheSet 1.02 fixes a 64 bit OS regression. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/cacheset

Beyond Compare 4.4.1.26165 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.scootersoftware.com/download.php?zz=dl4

ControlMyMonitor 1.31 adds a new parameter for Secondary displays. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/control_my_monitor.html

CPU-Z 1.99 adds support for new hardware and resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

DesktopOK 9.51 adds dark mode. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

dnGrep 2.9.482.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://dngrep.github.io/

Etcher 1.7.3 is a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Everything 1.4.1.1015 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.voidtools.com/

Everything CLI 1.1.0.21 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.voidtools.com/

FileLocator Pro 2022.3283 provides performance and reliability improvements. This is not a security update.
https://www.mythicsoft.com/filelocatorpro/download

GoodSync 11.10.0 resolves several bugs and improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

Homedale 2.02 improves colors. This is not a security update.
https://www.the-sz.com/products/homedale/

Macrium Reflect 8.0.6495 doesn’t provide a changelog, so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree

NTLite 2.3.2.8526 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

osquery 5.1.0 adds resource limiting, new objects, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://osquery.io/downloads

PowerToys 0.53.1 adds several new features and resolves bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/PowerToys/releases/latest

Process Monitor 3.87 fixes resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon

Samsung Magician 7.0.1 is a major update, but doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/minisite/ssd/download/tools/

SearchMyFiles 3.16 is a cosmetic update. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/search_my_files.html

Sysmon 13.31 improves reliability. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sysmon

TeamViewer 15.25.8 fixes a VOIP bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.teamviewer.com/en-us/download/windows/

TraceRouteOK 2.71 updates language files. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/TraceRouteOK

WifiInfoView 2.72 updates the internal MAC database and resolves a high-DPI bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html

ZoomText 2022.2112.10.400 resolves several bugs and improves display. This is not a security update.
https://support.freedomscientific.com/Downloads/ZoomText

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Maraura 3.9.7 updates Java support and libraries, and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
http://arianne.sourceforge.net/engine/marauroa.html

Docker Desktop 4.3.2 updates the scan engine to detect log4j vulnerabilities. This is a security update.
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Godot 3.4.2 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://godotengine.org/

Node.js 12.22.9 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 14.18.3 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 16.13.2 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 17.3.1 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

SQLite 3.37.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.sqlite.org/download.html

Web Package Updates

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

Drupal 9.3.2 resolves a major stability bug. This is not a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

HumHub 1.10.3 is a security update.
https://www.humhub.com/en/download

MailArchiva 8.5.6 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://mailarchiva.com/

ownCloud Server 10.9 is a security update.
https://owncloud.org/install/

Piwigo 12.2.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://piwigo.org/

ScreenConnect 21.14.5924.8013 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.connectwise.com/software/control/download

SMF 2.0.19 is a security update.
https://www.simplemachines.org/

WordPress 5.8.3 is a security update.
https://wordpress.org/

Slider Revolution 6.5.14 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://revolution.themepunch.com/

WPBakery 6.8.0 improves compatibility and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wpbakery.com/

Autoptimize 2.9.5 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/autoptimize/

BuddyPress 9.2.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/buddypress/

Social Post Feed 4.1.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/custom-facebook-feed/

Postie 1.9.59 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/postie/

NextScripts Social Networks Auto-Poster 4.3.25 is a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/social-networks-auto-poster-facebook-twitter-g/

Visual Composer 41.1 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://visualcomposer.com/

WooCommerce 6.1.0 is a major update, resolving several bugs and adding features. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/woocommerce/

WordPress Zero Spam 5.2.9 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/