Patch Mgmt. Breaking News

Mozilla Messaging patches Thunderbird bugs
Mozilla Messaging Thursday patched five bugs in its Thunderbird e-mail client to fix flaws that were disclosed more than a month ago. More..

Microsoft backpedals on Windows updates
Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it was delaying the release of Windows XP Service Pack 3 due to incompatibilities with its Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management software. Now comes word that Windows Vista Service Pack 1 has also been withdrawn from automatic distribution. According to Microsoft representatives, changes introduced in Vista SP1 affect how Microsoft's SQL Server database behaves in certain situations, potentially resulting in data loss or corruption. More..

New Oracle database hack found
Stay tuned to networkworld.tv this week as we bring you wall-to-wall coverage of Interop Las Vegas 2008. We've got a number of security experts and vendors slated to appear, so check back all week. Before that though, noted security researcher David Litchfield has found a new way to hack Oracle databases and 500,000 pages have been compromised by a mass SQL injection attacks. More..

Mac hack contest bug had been public for a year
When Charlie Miller won $10,000 for hacking into a Macbook Air laptop last month, he exploited a flaw that had been publicly disclosed nearly a year before the contest. More..

SANS solves mystery of mass Web site infections
The SANS Institute has uncovered what they've termed a "rare gem" as far as computer security investigations go that sheds new light on how up to 20,000 Web sites have been hacked since January. More..

Microsoft releases remaining Vista SP1 language packs
Microsoft Tuesday released the remaining 31 language editions of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) to Windows Update. More..

Apple patches $10,000 prize-winning bug
Apple has issued a security patch for its Safari Web browser, fixing the flaw that earned one security researcher $10,000 at the CanSecWest security conference. More..

Oracle patches 41 security flaws in database and other products
Oracle released 41 security fixes for its flagship database and several other products Tuesday, including 15 patches for vulnerabilities that can be exploited remotely without a username or password. More..

Attacks begin against critical Patch Tuesday bug
Hackers are trying to exploit a critical Windows vulnerability just patched on Tuesday, security researchers said this afternoon -- and the only version of Windows not at risk is the unfinished Windows XP SP3. More..

Oracle to ship critical database fixes next week
Oracle will release patches for a slew of products next week, including fixes for two nasty vulnerabilities for its database software. More..

After arrest, founder of bug-selling company to stay
Five months after being arrested by Italian authorities on hacking and wiretapping charges, the founder of a controversial company that sells unpatched computer vulnerabilities says he'll remain on board. More..

Adobe fixes seven flaws in Flash Player
Adobe has upgraded its Flash Player to fix seven vulnerabilities in the graphics and video software widely used for interactive Web pages and banner advertisements. More..

Shavlik adds virtual-machine patch management
Shavlik Technologies has announced that the next release of its NetChk tool will be able to scan and patch virtual-machine images for VMware and Microsoft Virtual Server and PC. More..

Companies struggle as Safari pops up on networks
Network administrators are complaining that Apple's recent decision to offer users its Safari Web browser as part of an iTunes and QuickTime update has made their lives harder, as they struggle to remove the software from PCs on their networks. More..

Apple plugs QuickTime with 11 patches
Apple released 11 patches for its QuickTime multimedia program on Wednesday, fixing a variety of problems that could allow a hacker to execute malicious code on a machine. More..

Apple ships updated security update
Apple has issued Security Update 2008-002 v1.1 (Leopard) and Security Update 2008-002 v1.1 Leopard (Server), recommending these revised security patches to all users. More..

Microsoft vs. Apple: Who patches 0-days faster?
Apple's teasing commercials that imply its software is safer than Microsoft's may not quite match the facts, according to new research revealed at the Black Hat conference on Thursday. More..

Hackers seize on Excel vulnerability
Researchers at Symantec said late Tuesday they've spotted a Web site that tries to exploit computers lacking one of the recently issued patches for versions of Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet program. More..

Vista SP1: Threat or Menace?
Apologies to J. Jonah Jameson -- I doubt the esteemed publisher of the Daily Bugle ever even used a PC -- but I couldn't resist cribbing one of his more famous headlines. Ol' Jonah always had a bad habit of selling short your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, no matter how much good the webslinger did. Similarly, the long-awaited release of Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista seems to have done little to quiet the grumbling about Microsoft's latest OS. More..

Open source Asterisk IP PBX needs patches to fix flaws
Businesses using open-source Asterisk-based IP PBXs should check whether to update the software version they are using in order to rid themselves of vulnerabilities that could compromise the systems. More..

Malicious subtitle file could trip up VLC media player
A flaw in the widely-used open-source VLC media player could allow an attacker to execute harmful code on a PC. More..

Apple releases Security Update 2008-002
Apple on Tuesday released an Security Update 2008-002 for Mac OS X. The update contains over 40 fixes for various components of the operating system. More..

Windows Vista SP1 Available Now - Do You Need It?
After considerable rumor and speculation, numerous false starts, and not a small amount of frustration on the part of consumers, Microsoft has released Windows Vista Service Pack 1 into the wild. More..

Buggy Microsoft Excel patch causes bad math
If you installed one of those Excel security patches issued by Microsoft earlier this week, you may want to double-check your math. More..

Rigged Excel documents making the rounds
Security experts have warned that malicious Microsoft Excel documents are making the rounds via e-mail, exploiting an unpatched Excel vulnerability that has been known publicly since January. More..