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Updates 2021-01-12

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Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for January, 2021.

This Month in Technology

By now you’re probably very aware with the SolarWinds “hack” since it was 24/7 news only a month ago, though mostly conjecture. We now know they were hacked over a year before a third-party (FireEye) pointed it out to them, and the malware remained on their servers weeks after it was identified.

What we’ve learned of it over the last month is a rich reminder of do’s and don’ts:

  • Don’t trust multi-factor authentication – it’s not nearly as effective at preventing logins as you’ve been lead to believe.
  • Don’t take over devices you can’t exploit quickly – don’t expose yourself wideband for 0.2%.
  • Do use a strong, unique password for everything – never something as absurd as “solarwinds123“.
  • Do modify your firewall to eliminate automatic whitelists for government IP addresses.
  • Do regular checkups – you never know what you’re going to find.

Don’t worry, though, they’ve hired a political hack to CYA!

Austin City, the City of Cornelia, City of Ellensburg, Independence City (Kansas), Chatham County (North Carolina), Huntsville City Schools (Alabama), Jefferson County (Kentucky), Subway, Intel’s Habana Labs, Microsoft, FireEye, the United Nations, Maryland’s GBMC HealthCare, the US Dept of Justice, Nissan, Livecoin, Spotify, IndiGo, various Israeli companies, the US Judiciary case file system, and many gaming companies have all been hacked.

Security issues or backdoors were found in Zyxel firewalls, Typo3, Android Bluetooth, Glassdoor, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft 365, Google Titan security keys, Signal App cryptography, Starbucks mobile, and terabytes of secrets and databases have been dumped online.

Point-of-sale hardware has a “service mode” with a default password, malware is fingerprinting and mapping networks using the MAC address, Smart Doorbells are still a bad idea, Gionee has been infecting their own budget smartphones for kickbacks, and Google is still the easiest way to hack Google.

Ticketmaster hacked their competition 7 years ago and is only now paying a fine for it, Twitter is being fined almost half a million Euros for its breach handling, and Sabre Corp has now settled with 27 states over data breach.

WhatsApp won’t let you use it if you don’t want it to have your data tied to the rest of Facebook. The bigger you are, the bigger the target is on your back.

The “secure communication” tool Telegram tells everyone your precise location if you enable location support. One of my favorite browser extensions, The Great Suspender, changed hands in 2020 and the new publisher has recently been caught using it to distribute malware under the guise of analytics. Shopify, BigCommerce and other large sales platforms are being targeted with a card skimmer.

Mozilla (creator of Firefox and Thunderbird) wants the entire Internet to be used to censor certain publishers (that’s a bad thing), which is sad since they recently dropped support for PWAs (that’s a good thing).

Speaking of censorship and cancel culture, a potential new federal banking rule could put an end to the social/financial terrorism employed by cancel culture devotees. However, Big Tech censorship is at an all-time high in the wake of “riots” that were tame for the last year.

Corellium is protected by Fair Use and Tim Cook is going to have to testify more than a mere 4 hours about how his elimination of competition and closed ecosystem aren’t “really” a monopoly.

Ledger Wallet, T-Mobile (yet again), Amazon partner Juspay, Ubiquiti, Nintendo, 21 Buttons, Sangoma Technologies, Dental Care Alliance, Koei Tecmo, and Apex Laboratory all suffered data leaks/breaches.

Zoom, however, willingly shared their US user data with China.

Facebook’s recent Instagram hack exposed a massive click farm.

Google has had several service outages in the last month, as has Apple and even #Slack.

WinZip is vulnerable to a MitM attack (dude, no SSL, really?!).

Google broke SMS on many Android devices, your RAM can be used to exfil data from your device, Apple iPhone assembly plant Wistron in India has been suspended after a riot causes $60 million in damages. That may be a good thing, though, since the Apple MagSafe chargers can deactivate pacemakers.

macOS Preview is damaging PDFs (again).

Apple has removed the ability to download combo updates for Big Sur. This is going to cause serious security problems for the vast majority of the world that doesn’t have Bay Area bandwidth available to them.

In a good move, Apple has upset Facebooks advertising ecosystem by preventing certain data collection and use on their latest platforms, even Google is trying to figure out how to get around the new privacy requirements.

Why don’t I trust government? It’s hard to pick just one reason, but this month has many examples. Government employees tasked with preserving election data call for its mass deletion, or “accidentally” delete the security log files, while ignoring hundreds of pages of evidence and “moving the goalposts.”

The FBI has been hiding Seth Rich’s laptop while claiming they didn’t have it, public schools are purchasing hacking tools to get the data off student’s phones, mass data collection never ends, agencies fine you for helping during a crisis or being in a car without permission, while they hack journalist’s phones and run pedophile rings out of large white government buildings in DC. Nevertheless, you should trust the math and not look behind the curtain. Or else.

By the way, streaming content that you don’t have rights to is now a felony thanks to a nearly 6,000 page bill passed without anyone reading it. Hypocrisy is their bread and butter. Which is why they have such religiously held beliefs that violate all common sense.

Now for the good news:

It is now possible to integrate Everything into the Windows taskbar!

Starlink is approved for use in the UK, opening the door to true worldwide broadband.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Adobe Flash Player is finally dead! There will be no more security updates released for Flash, and it’s probably the application single-most responsible for infections world-wide over the last 20 years, so it should be removed immediately. Use the utility below to remove it.
Win: https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html
Mac: https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-mac-os.html

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

Microsoft released updates for Windows, Edge, .NET, and MSRT (~ 1.6 GB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Apple released updates for macOS Big Sur 11.1, Security Update 2020-001 Catalina, Security Update 2020-007 Mojave, Safari 14.0.2, macOS Server 5.11, macOS X Combo Update 10.15.7, Brother Printer Drivers 4.1.1 and HP Printer Drivers 5.1. This includes security updates. Use Apple Software Update to install these updates. A reboot is required.

iOS 14.3 and iOS 12.5.1 are security updates. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

iPadOS 14.3 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current update.

watchOS 7.2 and watchOS 6.3 are security updates. Use the Watch app on your iPhone to install the most current version.

tvOS 14.3 is a security update. Use System, Software Update to install the most current version.

Google Chrome OS 87.0.4280.142 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 (11.0) 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 (v2009) is huge (about 18% larger than v2004, which was 25% larger than any prior build) so will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 months 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.

Crucial Storage Executive 6.09 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.crucial.com/support/storage-executive

Display Driver Uninstaller 18.0.3.5 improves removal of various artifacts. This is not a security update.
https://www.wagnardsoft.com/display-driver-uninstaller-ddu

nVidia 461.09 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 1.18.78 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 87.0.4280.141 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.google.com/chrome/

Microsoft Edge 87.0.664.75 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 84.0.2 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

Firefox ESR 78.6.1 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/

Iridium 2020.11 is a security update (but still not patched to the current Chromium security updates). Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://iridiumbrowser.de/

Vivaldi 3.5.2115.87 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

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

Thunderbird 78.6.1 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

Internet Updates

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

Facebook Messenger 20201207 is a security update, but is still a month behind the current chromium security level. You should remove Facebook Messenger if you have it installed.
https://www.messenger.com/download

Trillian 6.4.0.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.trillian.im/

curl 7.74.0 is a security update.
https://curl.haxx.se/windows/

Dropbox 112.4.321 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

FileZilla Client 3.52.0.5 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://filezilla-project.org/

FreeFileSync 11.5 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.freefilesync.org/download.php

Minds 4.7.0 improves data use and channel header, restyles posts, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.minds.com/mobile

Npcap 1.10 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nmap.org/npcap/

Technitium DNS Server 5.6 adds dynamic configuration application, adds cleanup options, block list refresh intervals, forced refresh, and resolves many other bugs. This is not a security update.
https://technitium.com/dns/

Zoom 5.4.59931.0110 adds ability to block insecure participants, force authentication, silence notifications when sharing, and management improvements. This is a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Adobe FrameMaker 2020.0.1 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://supportdownloads.adobe.com/detail.jsp?ftpID=7061

Adobe Bridge 11.0.1 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/bridge/apsb21-07.html

Adobe Captivate 2019 11.5.1.499 hotfix 1 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/captivate/apsb21-06.html

Adobe InCopy 16.0 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/incopy/apsb21-05.html

Adobe Campaign Classic Gold Standard 11, 20.3.3.9234, 20.2.4.9187, 20.1.4.9126, 19.2.4.9082, and 19.1.8.9039 are security updates.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/campaign/apsb21-04.html

Adobe Animate 21.0.2 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/animate/apsb21-03.html

Adobe Illustrator 25.1 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/illustrator/apsb21-02.html

Adobe Photoshop 22.1.1 is a security update.
https://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/photoshop/apsb21-01.html

darktable 3.4.0 resolves over 100 issues and adds several new features. This is not a security update.
https://www.darktable.org/install/

Flickr Downloadr 3.3.3.2 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.
https://flickrdownloadr.com/downloads/

Picard 2.5.6 resolves several bugs.
https://picard.musicbrainz.org/

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Steam 2020.12.21 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.steampowered.com/platform/update_history/index.php?skin=0&id=0

PlayStation PS3 4.87 improves performance. This is not a security update.
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps3/system-software/

PlayStation PS4 8.03 adds option to disable Game Chat Audio. This is not a security update.
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps4/system-software/

PlayStation PS5 20.02-02.30.00 resolves PS4 transfer bugs, text input and Wi-Fi stability issues, and improves performance. This is not a security update.
https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps5/system-software/

Office Updates

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

Interactive Calendar 2.2 adds color schemes, resolves search issues, improves stability & performance, and fixes several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.csoftlab.com/calendar

LibreOffice 7.0.4 resolves over a hundred bugs and is now the new general release. This is not a security update.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Nextcloud Desktop 3.1.1 resolves dozens of bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Notepad++ 7.9.2 resolves over three dozen issues including performance and stability. 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.

Tails 4.14 is a security update.
https://tails.boum.org/install/dvd-download/index.en.html

Gpg4win 3.1.15 improves AD support and resolves a random security key selection bug. This is a security update.
https://www.gpg4win.org/download.html

KeePass 2.47 resolves several bugs, improves search and options. This is not a security update.
https://keepass.info/

NSudo 8.0.1 updates libraries and adds translations. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/M2Team/NSudo/releases/latest

RogueKiller 14.8.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.adlice.com/download/roguekiller/

uBlock Origin 1.32.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/latest

Wireless Network Watcher 2.23 updates internal MAC addresses database. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_network_watcher.html

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

SnagIt 2021.1.0 improves transparency handling, scaling improvements, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?snagit

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 12.0.1.5 adds new models and profiles, improved Enlarger AI handling. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/download.htm

IsoBuster 4.7 adds an option to import and export templates, improved reliability, scanning, and read handling, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.isobuster.com/download.php

MakeMKV 1.15.4 improves compatibility, implements seamless join of TrueHD streams, and resolves bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.makemkv.com/download/

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

BulkFileChanger 1.72 adds “Photo – Date Taken” option. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/bulk_file_changer.html

CCleaner 5.75.8238 adds import for “Cookies to Keep” option, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ccleaner.com/

ControlMyMonitor 1.27 adds switches for turning on, off, and toggling on/off state. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/control_my_monitor.html

Dell Command Update 4.0 adds support for DCH drivers, adds a filter for Security updates, and improves user interface. This is not a security update.
https://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/04/sln311129/dell-command-update?lang=en

DesktopOK 8.38 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

dupeGuru 4.1.0 now uses tabs instead of windows, adds cosmetic fixes and options, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://dupeguru.voltaicideas.net/

Etcher 1.5.113 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Everything 1.4.1.1003 resolves issues with the exit switch, improves shortcuts and autofocus. This is not a security update.
https://www.voidtools.com/

GoodSync 11.5.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

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

LessMSI 1.8.0 improves usability. This is not a security update.
https://lessmsi.activescott.com/

MS ISO Downloader 8.46 adds new builds for Office 2019 for Mac, more Dell models and ISO Tools hash improvements. This is not a security update.
https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-and-office-iso-download-tool

NTLite 2.0.0.7756 resolves several bugs and improves controls. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

Aomei Partition Assistant 9.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.diskpart.com/

PointerStick 5.01 improves rendering. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/PointerStick

Process Monitor 3.61 adds monitoring for various registry APIs and resolves a query output bug. This is not a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

PsExec 2.21 is a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

Sysmon 13.00 adds image tampering events and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

TaskSchedulerView 1.65 adds columns for Task File Created/Modified. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/task_scheduler_view.html

TeamViewer 15.13.6 is released – but their changelog is on their community site (forum) which is currently down and redirecting to a third-party site. The new build may be a security update, but I recommend disabling TeamViewer completely for the near future just to be safe.
https://www.teamviewer.com/en/download/windows/

TraceRouteOK 2.31 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/TraceRouteOK

WakeMeOnLan 1.87 updates the internal MAC addresses database. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wake_on_lan.html

WifiChannelMonitor 1.66 adds option to copy clicked cell and updates MAC addresses file. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_channel_monitor.html

WifiInfoView 2.67 adds window resizing and pagination to the properties window, and adds wildcard filter support. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html

WinScan2PDF 6.41 improves duplex support. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/WinScan2PDF

WirelessKeyView 2.21 improves display and adds QR Code view (F2). This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_key.html

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Node.js 12.20.1 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 14.15.4 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 15.5.1 is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Redemption 5.26.0.5872 adds ability to remember SMTP passwords, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
http://www.dimastr.com/redemption/

Visual Studio Code 1.52.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

Web Package Updates

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

Docker Desktop 3.0.4 resolves a stability bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Drupal 9.1.2 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

Joomla 3.9.24 is a security update.
https://www.joomla.org/

Nextcloud Server 20.0.4 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

OpenPetra 2020.12 removes support for SQLite, improves Find, Type Ahead, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.openpetra.org/

phpList 3.6.0 adds blacklisting hook, and counter limits. This is not a security update.
https://www.phplist.org/

phpMyAdmin 5.0.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.phpmyadmin.net/

ConnectWise Control 21.1.2009.7678 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.connectwise.com/software/control/download

WordPress 5.6 improves layout flexibility, adds new block patterns, captions, new default theme, and improved auto-update capabilities. This is not a security update.
https://wordpress.org/

Akismet 4.1.8 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.

Autoptimize 2.8.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

BuddyPress 7.1.0 resolves two bugs. This is not a security update.

Contact Form 7 5.3.2 is a security update.

Social Post Feed 2.18.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Interactive World Map 3.1.9 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.

myStickymenu 2.4.9 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.

W3 Total Cache 2.0.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Widgets on Pages 1.5.0 is a security update.

WooCommerce 4.9.0 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.

Show IDs 1.1.6 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.

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

Regards,

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

 

Updates 2020-11-10

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Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for November, 2020. It’s a big one and many Windows computers will be pushed into v2009 unless they’ve recently installed v2004. With the release of v2009 and the election, there’s a lot going on this month.

This Month in Technology

Aetna has been hacked again, dozens of hospitals (again), Mashable has been hacked, Cisco AnyConnect zero-day still isn’t patched, a Solaris zero-day is being used to hack corporate networks, and billions of credentials have been leaked after a data breach website contents are leaked online, Google Drive is being used to infect hospitals, Cloud Hospitality has exposed customer data for millions of users, Mattel has been hacked, BigBasket has been hacked, WordPress pushed out a sorely broken security update and fixed it the next day, Waze can be used to track you by nearby drivers, and X-Cart sites were hit by ransomware.

Cadillac Fairview has been illegally using secret facial recognition cameras throughout their shopping centres.

Apple has had several outages this month, and their hardware manufacturer was hit by ransomware, while they abandon another for exposed labor abuses (not for the labor abuses themselves, since that’s really within Apple’s wheelhouse), iOS apps will work on Apple Silicon Macs, but many developers are already abandoning the App Store.

Microsoft is blocking upgrades to v2004 and v2009 due to a Thunderbolt compatibility & reliability bug.

Starlink’s beta shows impressive performance (135 Mbps/25 Mbps).

It’s usually best to dismiss anything a politician says, but Biden’s assertion that he has the “most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics” should not be taken with a grain of salt.

After all, there is plenty of evidence of fraud including voter intimidation, terrorism (the “use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims”), foreign nation interference, various “software” “glitches” and “bugs,” fake ballots, fake voters, invalidating sharpie ballots, backdating ballots arriving late, an untrustworthy postal system, false witnesses, (literally) blocking access to ballot observers, network and “accidentally mislabeled” ballots, throwing away ballots that poll-workers disagree with, the inability to trust even election judges, and government “open integrity” websites, but the Main Stream Media continues to preach the mantra that there is no evidence of voter fraud (mostly because big tech is censoring most of the evidence) even while Democrat representatives declare voter fraud a “time-honored tradition.”

Awkward: Joe Biden’s (77) Coronavirus task force is being lead by a man that believes people shouldn’t live past 75.

It’s not just the vote tally that’s false, the US Census faked data, too.

Fox News has lost the faith of their viewers and Judge Jeanine.

Twitter continues to demonstrate why you shouldn’t use them.

NetMarketShare had a good run. After 14 years they’ve pulled the plug due to changes in the chromium source, reasonably accurate browser identification will no longer be possible.

The Cult of Branch Covidians continues to demonstrate that science has never been their goal. Medical staff know the truth, and their efforts to save family and the world from masked parasites based on faulty tests and high false-positive rates with severe costs for a virus they’ve never isolated are being blocked and ignored. By the way, did you know that the PCR false-positive rate is as much as 4% and the number of “positive tests” in CA averages 3.7%? A judge that treats people as adults is being investigated for daring not to wear a mask in his own courtroom.

5G is finally being investigated.

The Internet Archive has surrendered to censorship.

0patch to the rescue, again. Microsoft isn’t supporting Office 2010 but don’t let that dissuade you. 0patch has been offering security fixes for many vendors of otherwise unsupported applications.

There’s a workaround for some HP printers that allow you to bypass the ban on third-party ink and toner. This is especially useful since HP Instant Ink is now demanding a ransom to keep using the ink you’ve already paid for.

Now for the good news:

The best news, to me anyway, is that scientists have now regrown optic nerves.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Patch Tuesday this month is very big. The typical computer should see roughly 2.5 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

Microsoft released updates for Windows, Edge, .NET, Servicing Stack, Flash, Internet Explorer, and MSRT (~ 1.1 GB). This includes security updates. A reboot is required.

Apple released updates for macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Supplemental Update, macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Update, iOS 14.2, iPadOS 14.2, iOS 12.4.9, watchOS 5.3.9, watchOS 6.2.9, watchOS 7.1, and tvOS 14.2. Expect an update to iTunes, too, in the next few days. These are security updates.

iOS 14.2 and 12.4.9 are security updates. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current version.

iPadOS 14.2 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current version.

watchOS 5.3.9, 6.2.9 and 7.1 are security updates. Use your updated iPhone to install the most current version through the Watch app.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204641

tvOS 14.2 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Updates to install the most current version.

Adobe Flash Player 32.0.0.453 is a security update. Since Flash is going the way of the dodo along with the Year from Hell, this could very well be the last time you may have to install a Flash update. You’re still better off removing it instead of updating. 🙂
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flash
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flashie
Mac: https://12pd.com/click?flashmac

Google Chrome OS 87.0.4280.47 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version. A reboot is required.

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

Important Notes

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

The release of macOS Catalina (10.15) means that macOS Sierra (10.12) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS High Sierra (10.13) on your Mac then you should immediately remove it from the Internet and use it offline only. It will no longer receive patches or updates and can now no longer be secured.

The now-current release of the Windows 10 (v2009) is huge (about 18% larger than v2004, which was 25% larger than any prior build) so will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 months. If you don’t let it finish and you’re on a slow connection, this process kill your Internet performance forever. If you don’t have the bandwidth to download the bits, I’m happy to provide loaner USB drives to our local clients, or, if you prefer to have me mail it to you please contact me for information.

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

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need or use, reducing the attack surface.

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

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

Driver Updates

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

nVidia 457.30 adds support for CUDA 11.1, new hardware, new game profiles, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Daemon Tools Lite 10.14.0 resolves several bugs and adds streaming and theme controls. This is not a security update.
https://www.daemon-tools.cc/products/dtLite

Browser Updates

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

Brave 1.16.72 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the current version.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 86.0.4240.193 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the current version.

Microsoft Edge 86.0.622.63 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the current version.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 82.0.3 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the current version.

Firefox ESR 78.4.1 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the current version.

Iridium 2020.11.85 is a security update, but Iridium runs behind with chromium so should be avoided.
https://iridiumbrowser.de/

Vivaldi 3.4.2066.99 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.

Thunderbird 78.4.2 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.

Dropbox 109.4.517 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

FreeFileSync 11.3 resolves several bugs and improves cosmetics. This is not a security update.
https://www.freefilesync.org/download.php

Zoom 5.4.58740.1105 is a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

iTunes 12.10.10.2 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

Office Updates

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

Adobe Reader DC 20.013.20064 is a security update. Use Help, Check for updates to install the most current version.

Atom 1.53.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://atom.io/

Krita 4.4.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://krita.org/en/download/krita-desktop/

LibreOffice Fresh 7.0.3 resolves over 90 bugs. This is not a security update. Remember that ‘Fresh’ is the beta version, so should be avoided by most users.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Nextcloud Desktop 3.0.3 resolves over a dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Notepad++ 7.9.1 resolves over 20 bugs, including several stability and reliability issues, and adds several new features. This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?npp

Security Software Updates

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

TinyWall 3.0.10 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://tinywall.pados.hu/

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

SnagIt 2021.0.1 adds new quick styles, direct theme access, resolves compatibility with YouTube and several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://download.techsmith.com/snagit/enu/snagit.exe

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 12.0.0.5 improves hardware support, resolves several bugs, and adds support for new encodings. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/download.htm

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

CCleaner 5.74.8184 improves application compatibility, automatic update controls, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ccleaner.com/

DesktopOK 7.99.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

DMDE 3.8.0.790 adds APFS support, image preview, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://dmde.com/

Eraser 6.2.0.2991 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a security update.
https://eraser.heidi.ie/download/

Etcher 1.5.110 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

GoodSync 11.4.5 resolves dozens of bugs. This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?goodsync

RoboForm 8.9.5 resolves several bugs and improves Most Popular calculations. This is not a security update.
https://12pd.com/click?rf

AD Explorer 1.50 adds support for exporting data from the “Compare” dialog. This is not a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

Disk Usage 1.62 adds support for the MFT and removes the MAX_PATH limitation. This is not a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

VMMap 3.31 fixes a Thread Environment Block bug on Windows 10 systems. This is not a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

Sysmon 12.02 fixes several configuration parsing bugs. This is not a security update.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ADB 30.0.5 improves performance and error handling. This is not a security update.
https://developer.android.com/studio/releases/platform-tools

Android Studio 4.1.1.0 resolves over a dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://developer.android.com/studio

Node.js 15.1.0 adds diagnostics_channel (experimental), new spawn event, DNS resolver control, and several V8 options. This is not a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Redemption 5.25.0.5826 resolves 9 bugs and adds several new objects. This is not a security update.
http://www.dimastr.com/redemption/

Visual Studio Code 1.51 integrates a terminal, improves intellisense, Git, tab pinning and more. This is not a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

Web Package Updates

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

Docker Desktop 2.5.0.1 updates libraries, system requirements, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

HumHub 1.7.0 resolves two minor bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.humhub.com/en/download

OpenPetra 2020.10 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.openpetra.org/

ScreenConnect 20.11.1479.7606 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.connectwise.com/software/control/download

WordPress 5.5.3 resolves several security issues and automatic update failures.

bbPress 2.6.6 doesn’t have a current changelog, so should be treated as a security update.

Multisite Enhancements 1.5.3 resolves several bugs and improves cosmetics. This is not a security update.

Redirection 4.9.2 improves compatibility and cosmetics. This is not a security update.

WooCommerce 4.6.2 resolves an account creation bug. This is not a security update.

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

Regards,

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

Updates 2020-10-13

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Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for October 2020.

This Month in Technology

For those in our local community, the biggest news is that AT&T has abandoned DSL in rural America, reducing Internet access options even further for our friends and neighbors.

The US Treasury has announced that it is now illegal to pay your federal taxes.

The Universal Health Services was hacked (all 400+ locations!) and infected with ransomware, so was Software AG, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was hacked again, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was hacked, the Las Vegas school system was hacked – and since they didn’t pay the ransom student details were leaked, Docsketch was hacked, and the United Nations (UN) International Maritime Organization was hacked. Razer made a boo-boo, and even coffee makers are now being used for ransomware distribution. Grindr was hacked, Microsoft’s Windows XP source code was leaked, almost any current iPhone can be listened into from 20 feet away using only an AM radio, and access to your RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management) is being sold to attackers. Evidence exists that your anti-virus is helping the bad guys, and BitDefender is still weak security.

Facebook has been hacked (for years), Facebook for Android has been hacked again, Office 365 & Outlook have been down repeatedly over the last month, Fitbit malware – distributed by Fitbit – can be used to take over your internal network and exfiltrate your data to the web, Bluetooth is still the weakest wireless link, your Comcast XR11 TV remote can be used to listen in to your conversations, BitLocker encryption is vulnerable to a sleep-mode bypass (aka, yet another reason not to use sleep mode), HP Device Manager flaw is a big deal, but not as big a deal as Windows Error Reporting being used to infect your PC.

Apple’s initial iOS 14 release killed batteries on many iPhones, (so did the recent ChromeOS update), Apple’s latest security fix (10.15.7) can kill performance on your Mac, but only if you use Mac software (rolls eyes). Hint: disable and re-enable Find My Mac to fix it. And that’s nothing compared to their T2 security chip vulnerability.

“The” secure reimplementation of BIOS, UEFI, was designed to make security at boot a thing of beauty and prevent third-parties from being able to hijack the boot process. Unfortunately, it simply provided a false sense of security.

2FA via SMS is also a much lower fruit than many realize, but not nearly as bad as SSO.

Many others have joined in the case against Apple & Google’s rent-seeking, who charge significantly more for their “services” than even the federal government, but portray themselves as victims. Insane rules and hypocritical requirements force developers to charge for free services or force users out of their application in order to even be allowed into the Apple ecosystem. What can we really expect from a SF bay area “green” company that lies about their recycling program? Hopefully the courts will use Apple’s own words against them, in that Apple claims that their AppStore is a place to “reliably” download “safe” apps.

Former Facebook data scientist exposes her complicity with atrocities and abuse by governments and MNCs.

The Supreme Court heard arguments on the Oracle v Google IP fight suffered the same problem that most legal battles over technology do: poor arguments. Google’s defense failed to explain the distinctive nature of APIs as guides rather than code. Sure, they provide access to the functionality of the code, but are not, in and of themselves, code. The entire argument could be easily equated to vehicles. One does not need to know nor expose the specific design of a Ferrari 911 to know that the vehicle should stop at a stop sign nor yield at a yield sign. The vehicle itself (code – reasonably subject to IP) can operate on any road as long as the traffic signs (APIs) are in place. The signage is consistent across most of the world, even where languages differ greatly. So should the APIs be universally available.

In the current world of tech censorship and cancel culture, nobody can really argue against the necessity for Section 230 to be revised. However, most calls for revision would create an even more abhorrent system where public discourse can not be held without risk of liability to completely unrelated parties.

If you take government money, you are subject to the same rules as government, so says RFK, Jr.

In the new “get woke, go broke” era, it should come as no surprise that when you pander to racists and terrorists, you will be investigated.

Research shows that the lockdowns were not only anti-science, but caused far more harm than the virus itself. On the subject of fraud, are we still supposed to believe that the government’s “kill a fly with a nuke” response to COVID is really all the result of bats in an Asian wet market or that masks actually do anything at all?

One would think fraud would be front page news, but the MSM is much more likely to ignore than acknowledge it. To paraphrase Stalin, “A single case of fraud is a tragedy; a million cases are just a statistic.”

The moment I read that Nintendo’s lawyers said Joy-Con Drift “wasn’t a real problem” I knew they would be sued.

Now for the good news – since I’m making up for last month, I’ll give you three:

Adobe Flash will finally be dead in only 79 days.

Free, limitless power from graphene could literally change everything.

A “vaccine” of sorts has been developed to protect against some forms of ransomware.

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Patch Tuesday this month is huge. The typical computer should see roughly 2.5 GB in updates today. Let’s get started.

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

Apple released updates for iOS 14.0.1 and iPadOS 14.0.1, tvOS 14.0.2, Safari 14.0, watchOS 7.0.2, macOS Catalina 10.15.7, macOS Mojave 10.14.6, macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, iCloud for Windows 7.21, iCloud for Windows 11.4, iTunes for Windows 12.10.9, and Xcode 12.0. These are security updates.

iOS 14.0.1 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current version. This version also adds the Orwellian contact tracing feature at the system level. While “disabled” by default, you may validate that it is disabled in Settings, Privacy, Health, COVID-19 Exposure Logging, and turn off Exposure Logging.

iPadOS 14.0.1 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Software Update to install the most current version.

tvOS 14.0.2 is a security update. Use Settings, General, Updates to install the most current version.

watchOS 7.0.2 is a security update. Use your updated iPhone to install the most current version through the Watch app.

Adobe Flash Player 32.0.0.445 is a security update.
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flash
Win: https://12pd.com/click?flashie
Mac: https://12pd.com/click?flashmac

Google has released security updates for Android 9 and 10 which will gradually be published by individual vendors and available to you in the coming weeks. This version also adds the Orwellian contact tracing feature. Disabling Location and Bluetooth will disable the current version of contact tracing.

Google Chrome OS 85.0.4183.133 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version. A reboot is required.

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

Important Notes

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

The release of macOS Catalina (10.15) means that macOS Sierra (10.12) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS High Sierra (10.13) on your Mac then you should immediately remove it from the Internet and use it offline only. It will no longer receive patches or updates and can now no longer be secured.

The now-current release of the Windows 10 (2004) is a huge (about 25% larger than any prior build) so will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 months. If you don’t let it finish and you’re on a slow connection, this process kill your Internet performance forever. If you don’t have the bandwidth to download the bits, I’m happy to provide loaner USB drives to our local clients, or, if you prefer to have me mail it to you please contact me for information.

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

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need or use, reducing the attack surface.

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

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

Driver Updates

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

Display Driver Uninstaller 18.0.3.3 improves removal of DCH CP on older builds of Windows. This is not a security update.
https://www.wagnardsoft.com/display-driver-uninstaller-ddu

Logitech Options 8.30.310 resolves several bugs adds profiles for Zoom and MS Teams. This is not a security update.
https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/options

Logitech Options (macOS) 8.30.293 resolves several bugs adds profiles for Zoom and MS Teams. This is not a security update.
https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/options

nVidia 456.71 adds support for new hardware and improves support for COD beta and other games. This is not a security update.
https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

Crucial Storage Executive 6.06 doesn’t provide a changelog so should be treated as a a security update.
https://www.crucial.com/support/storage-executive

Browser Updates

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

Brave 1.15.72 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://brave.com/

Google Chrome 86.0.4240.80 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

Microsoft Edge 86.0.622.38 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/edge/business/download

Firefox 81.0.2 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

Firefox ESR 78.3.1 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.

SeaMonkey 2.53.4 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.seamonkey-project.org/

Vivaldi 3.3.2022.47 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://vivaldi.com/

Email Updates

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

Thunderbird 78.3.2 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/

Internet Updates

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

Dropbox 107.4.443 resolves bugs and adds more. This is not a security update.
https://www.dropbox.com/

Zoom 5.3.53291.1011 changes automatic update behavior, and improves poll and link behaviors. This is not a security update.
https://zoom.us/

Prosody 0.11.7 is a security update.
https://prosody.im/download/start

FreeFileSync 11.2 resolves several bugs, improves layout and key bindings. This is not a security update.
https://www.freefilesync.org/download.php

Nmap 7.91 adds support for new profiles and fingerprints, and resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://nmap.org/

Npcap 1.00 resolves two minor bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nmap.org/npcap/

Technitium DNS Server 5.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://technitium.com/dns/

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

3tene 2.0.6 improves sensitivity calculations, light focal management, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://en.3tene.com/

iTunes for Windows 12.10.9 is a security update. Use Apple Software Update to install the most current version.

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Steam 2020.10.07 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Office Updates

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

Notepad++ 7.9 adds several new features and fixes over a dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://notepad-plus-plus.org/

Adobe Reader DC 20.012.20048 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

Artweaver 7.0.7 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.artweaver.de/

Atom 1.52.0 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://atom.io/

Blender 2.90.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.blender.org/download/

Lightworks NLE 2020.1.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.lwks.com/

Microsoft Office for Mac 2016/2019 is a security update.

Krita 4.4.0 improves fill layers, multigrid, screentone, brushes, API improvements and more. This is a security update.
https://krita.org/en/download/krita-desktop/

LibreOffice Fresh 7.0.2 resolves over a hundred bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.libreoffice.org/

Nextcloud Desktop 3.0.2 resolves a dozen bugs. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

Security Software Updates

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

OpenSSL 1.1.1h resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.openssl.org/source/

KeePass 2.46 adds several features including TLS 1.3 and mass edit capabilities, as well as resolving bugs, and other improvements. This is not a security update.
https://keepass.info/

RogueKiller 14.7.3 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://www.adlice.com/download/roguekiller/

TinyWall 3.0.8 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://tinywall.pados.hu/

uBlock Origin 1.30.4 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/latest

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

ScreenToGif 2.27.3 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/NickeManarin/ScreenToGif/releases/latest

SnagIt 2020.1.5 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://download.techsmith.com/snagit/enu/snagit.exe

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

DVDFab 12.0.0.1 is a major update with several improvements. This version improves the GUI and adds several new output profiles. This is not a security update.
https://www.dvdfab.cn/download.htm

AVStoDVD 2.8.9 resolves several bugs, improves performance and updates libraries. This should be treated as a security update.
https://sites.google.com/site/avstodvdmain/

MakeMKV 1.15.3 resolves several bugs, introduces TOR/VPN support, adds support for new stream types. This is not a security update.
https://www.makemkv.com/download/

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

1Password for Windows 7.6.785 resolves a bug. This is not a security update.
https://1password.com/downloads/windows/

Beyond Compare 4.3.7.25118 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.scootersoftware.com/download.php?zz=dl4

Bitwarden 1.22.2 resolves bugs. This should be treated as a security update.
https://bitwarden.com/

CCleaner 5.72.7994 resolves several bugs and improves compatibility. This is not a security update.
https://www.ccleaner.com/

CPU-Z 1.94 adds support for new hardware and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

DesktopOK 7.95 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

DevManView 1.72 resolves an output bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/device_manager_view.html

Etcher 1.5.109 is a security update.
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Everything 1.4.1.992 is a security update.
https://www.voidtools.com/

GoodSync 11.3.8 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.goodsync.com/

IsMyHdOK 2.51 resolves bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/IsMyHdOK

LessMSI 1.7.0 improves messaging. This is not a security update.
https://lessmsi.activescott.com/

MS ISO Downloader 8.40 adds support for new Dell models and images, new Win10 builds and adds hash reporting to images. This is not a security update.
https://www.heidoc.net/joomla/technology-science/microsoft/67-microsoft-windows-and-office-iso-download-tool

NTLite 2.0.0.7656 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.ntlite.com/download/

Aomei Partition Assistant 8.10 improves display and startup. This is not a security update.
https://www.diskpart.com/

PSAppDeploy 3.8.3 adds several new features and resolves bugs. This is not a security update.
https://psappdeploytoolkit.com/

RoboForm 8.9.4 resolves several bugs, including the QuickBooks compatibility issue that prevented display of registers and Chrome that caused freezes.
https://12pd.com/click?rf

Process Monitor 3.60 adds support for multiple filter item selection and decoding for new file system control operations and error status codes. While not a security updates, this improves the analytical data collection, thus increasing security awareness.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon

Procdump 10.0 adds support for dump cancellation and CoreCLR processes. This is not a security update.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procdump

Sysmon 12.0 resolves several bugs and adds support for capturing clipboard operations. While not a security updates, this improves the analytical data collection, thus increasing security awareness.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sysmon

SysInternals released new builds of many of their applications, as well as ARM versions. While the changes on many of the updates are poorly documented and SysInternals apps are generally more secure than apps distributed elsewhere, you should assume that any updates have security ramifications. If they’re not security updates, they may improve the context or analytical data that is exposed, thus increasing the security awareness of the tools.
https://live.sysinternals.com/

TeamViewer 15.10.5 resolves a licensing bug. This is not a security update.
https://www.teamviewer.com/en/download/windows/

USBDeview 3.01 adds an option to copy the contents of the active cell. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

USB Oblivion 1.14.0.0 addes support for new modules. This is not a security update.
http://www.cherubicsoft.com/en/projects/usboblivion

WifiChannelMonitor 1.65 adds support for detection of new protocols. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_channel_monitor.html

WifiInfoView 2.65 adds support for detection of new protocols. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wifi_information_view.html

WirelessKeyView 2.20 adds support for displaying WiFi QR Codes. This is not a security update.
https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_key.html

WinGet 0.2.2521 updates libraries and adds new verbs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli/releases/latest

WinScan2PDF 6.06 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Microsoft/WinScan2PDF

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

Android Studio 4.1.0.19 integrates database and emulation, improves diagnostics, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://developer.android.com/studio

Godot 3.2.3 resolves over a hundred bugs and improves stability. This is not a security update.
https://godotengine.org/

Node.js 14.13.1 resolves several bugs. This is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Node.js 12.19.0 updates libraries, and resolves dozens of bugs. This is a security update.
https://nodejs.org/en/

Visual Studio Code 1.50 improves accessibility features, pinned tabs, adds ARM support, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

TortoiseGit 2.11.0 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://tortoisegit.org/

Web Package Updates

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

Dada Mail 11.12.0 adds image embedding and resizing, improved scheduling capabilities, library updates and bug fixes. This is not a security update.
http://dadamailproject.com/

Drupal 9.0.7 resolves dozens of bugs. This is a security update.
https://drupal.org/download

Docker Desktop 2.4.0.0 updates libraries and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Nextcloud Server 20.0.0 updates libraries, adds a new dashboard, Talk bridging support, and several other new features and improvements. This is not a security update.
https://nextcloud.com/

HumHub 1.6.4 is a security update.
https://www.humhub.com/en/download

Joomla 3.9.22 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.joomla.org/

OpenPetra 2020.09 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://www.openpetra.org/

phpMyAdmin 4.9.6 and 5.0.3 are security updates.
https://www.phpmyadmin.net/

Autoptimize 2.7.8 is a security update.

BuddyPress 6.3.0 resolves bugs. This is not a security update.

Email Log 2.4.3 adds a new filter and enhances nonce. This is not a security update.

Social Post Feed 2.17 adds support for new embed types. This is not a security update.

WooCommerce 4.5.2 resolves a couple bugs. This is not a security update.

WP Mail SMTP 2.4.0 updates libraries, improves compatibility, and resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

W3 Total Cache 0.15.1 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.

WordPress Zero Spam 4.10.2 improves compatibility. This is not a security update.

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

Regards,

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

Updates 2020-08-11

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Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for August 2020.

This Month in Technology

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now for the good(?) news:

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

Let’s Get Busy

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Google Chrome OS 84.0.4147.110 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version. A reboot is required.

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

Important Notes

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

The release of macOS Catalina (10.15) means that macOS Sierra (10.12) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS High Sierra (10.13) on your Mac then you should immediately remove it from the Internet and use it offline only. It will no longer receive patches or updates and can now no longer be secured.

The now-current release of the Windows 10 (2004) is a huge (about 25% larger than any prior build) so will take a long time to download on slower connections. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 months. If you don’t let it finish and you’re on a slow connection, this process kill your Internet performance forever. If you don’t have the bandwidth to download the bits, I’m happy to provide loaner USB drives to our local clients, or, if you prefer to have me mail it to you please contact me for information.

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

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need or use, reducing the attack surface.

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

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

Driver Updates

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

Display Driver Uninstaller 18.0.2.8 resolves issues with NVIDIA removal. This is not a security update.
https://www.wagnardsoft.com/display-driver-uninstaller-ddu

Browser Updates

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

Brave 1.11.104 is a security update. Use Menu, Help, About to install the most current version.
https://brave.com/

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

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

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

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

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

Email Updates

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

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

Internet Updates

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

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

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

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

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

Office Updates

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Security Software Updates

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

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

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

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

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

uBlock Origin 1.29.0 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/releases/latest

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

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

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

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

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

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

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

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

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

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

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

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

Web Package Updates

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WordPress Zero Spam 4.9.12 is the latest in a series of fixes to the 4.0 rewrite. Over a hundred changes and many new features and controls are added. This is not a security update.

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

Regards,

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

Updates 2020-05-12

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Welcome back, Folks!

Today is Patch Tuesday for May 2020.

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

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

This Month in Technology

Send a text, get root.

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

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

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

Pitney Bowes has been hacked again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now for the good news:

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

Let’s Get Busy

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

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

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

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

Important Notes

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

The release of macOS Catalina (10.15) means that macOS Sierra (10.12) and older are no longer supported. If you can not install at least macOS High Sierra (10.13) on your Mac then you should immediately remove it from the Internet and use it offline only. It will no longer receive patches or updates and can now no longer be secured.

The now-current release of the Windows 10 (1909) is a pretty small update so will install quickly. Windows 10 pushes you to get the latest Windows 10 release every 6 months. If you don’t let it finish and you’re on a slow connection, this process kill your Internet performance forever. If you don’t have the bandwidth to download the bits, I’m happy to provide loaner USB drives to our local clients, or, if you prefer to have me mail it to you please contact me for information.

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

It is essential to maintain all the applications you have installed on your computer, but often you can minimize the time investment and the potential for exploitation simply by uninstalling software you do not need or use, reducing the attack surface.

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

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

Browser Updates

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Email Updates

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

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

Internet Updates

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

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

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

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

Media Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

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

Game Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

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

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

Office Updates

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

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

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

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

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

Security Software Updates

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

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

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

Capture Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

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

SnagIt 2020.1.2 resolves several crash bugs and improves compatibility. This is a security update.
https://download.techsmith.com/snagit/enu/snagit.exe

Converter Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

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

HandBrake 1.3.2 resolves several bugs. This is not a security update.
https://handbrake.fr/

Utility Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Developer Updates

These are unlikely to be of interest to most people.

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

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

Visual Studio Code 1.45 improves accessibility, color, syntax, and semantic highlighting, performance, and GitHub integration. This is not a security update.
https://code.visualstudio.com/

Web Package Updates

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

OpenCart 3.0.3.3 replaces all PayPal extensions with PayPal Commerce platform. This is not a security update.
https://www.opencart.com/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Show IDs 1.1.4 improves compatibility with WordPress 5.4.1.

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

Regards,

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