April 06, 2010 - Current Activity

Foxit Reader 3.2.1.0401 Released

The Foxit Corporation has released Foxit Reader 3.2.1.0401 to address a critical vulnerability. Exploitation of this vulnerability may allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review the Foxit notice regarding the release and upgrade to Foxit Reader 3.2.1.0401 to help mitigate the risks. Additional information regarding this vulnerability can be found in the Vulnerability Notes Database.

Mozilla Releases Firefox V3.6.3

The Mozilla Foundation has released Firefox V3.6.3 to address a critical vulnerability. Exploitation of this vulnerability may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review Mozilla Foundation Security Advisory mfsa2010-25 and upgrade to Firefox V3.6.3.

VMware Releases Security Advisory for ESX Service Console Updates

VMware has released a security advisory to address vulnerabilities in the Samba and acpid packages of ESX Service Console. These vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to cause a denial-of-service condition, obtain sensitive information or bypass security restrictions.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review VMware security bulletin VMSA-2010-0006 and apply any necessary updates to help mitigate the risks.

Oracle Releases Critical Patch Update for Java SE and Java for Business

Oracle has released a critical patch update to address 27 vulnerabilities in Java SE and Java for Business. These vulnerabilities are in the following components: ImageIO, Java 2D, Java Runtime Environment, Java Web Start, Pack200, Sound, JSSE, and HotSpot Server.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review the critical patch update and apply any necessary updates to help mitigate the risks.

Microsoft Releases Out-of-Band Security Bulletin Update

Microsoft has released an update to its Security Bulletin Summary for March 2010 and has included the out-of-band bulletin MS10-018. This bulletin addresses ten vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer, including one previously announced in Microsoft Security Advisory 981374. The most severe of these vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected system.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-018 and to follow best-practice security policies to determine which updates should be applied.

Microsoft Releases Advance Notification for Out-of-Band Security Bulletin

Microsoft has issued a Security Bulletin Advance Notification indicating that it will be releasing an out-of-band security bulletin. This bulletin will address a vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7. The notification states that release of this bulletin is scheduled for March 30, 2010. Additional information can be found in Microsoft Security Advisory 981374 and in the Vulnerability Notes Database.

US-CERT will provide additional information as it becomes available.

Apple Releases Security Update 2010-002 and Mac OS X v10.6.3

Apple has released Security Update 2010-002 and Mac OS X v10.6.3 to address multiple vulnerabilities that affect a number of applications. These vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code, obtain sensitive information, cause a denial-of-service condition, bypass security restrictions, or operate with elevated privileges.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review Apple Article HT4077 and apply any necessary updates to help mitigate the risks.

Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Email Scam

US-CERT is aware of public reports of an active email scam. These emails, which appear to come from seemingly legitimate law firms, indicate that someone has filed a copyright lawsuit against the message recipient. The messages may contain malicious attachments or web links. If a user opens the attachment or follows the link, malicious code may be installed on the user's system.

US-CERT encourages users to take the following preventative measures to help mitigate the security risks:

• Do not follow unsolicited web links and do not open unsolicited email messages.
• Maintain up-to-date antivirus software.
• Use caution when visiting untrusted websites.
• Refer to the Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams (pdf) document for more information on avoiding email scams.
• Refer to the Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks document for more information on social engineering attacks.

US Tax Season Phishing Scams and Malware Campaigns

In the past, US-CERT has received reports of an increased number of phishing scams and malware campaigns that take advantage of the United States tax season. Due to the upcoming tax deadline, US-CERT reminds users to remain cautious when receiving unsolicited email that could be part of a potential phishing scam or malware campaign.

These phishing scams and malware campaigns may include the following: information that refers to a tax refund, warnings about unreported or under-reported income, offers to assist in filing for a refund, or details about fake e-file websites. These messages, which appear to be from the IRS, may ask users to submit personal information via email or may instruct the user to follow a link to a website that requests personal information or contains malicious code.

At this time, US-CERT is aware of public reports indicating that there is active circulation of a tax season malware campaign. This malware campaign may be using malicious code commonly known as Zeus or Zbot.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to take the following measures to protect themselves from these types of phishing scams and malware campaigns:

• Do not follow unsolicited web links in email messages.
• Maintain up-to-date antivirus software.
• Refer to the IRS website related to phishing, email, and bogus website scams for scam samples and reporting information.
• Refer to the Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams (pdf) document for more information on avoiding email scams.
• Refer to the Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks document for more information on social engineering attacks.

Cisco Releases Security Advisories for IOS Software

Cisco has released a bundled publication, which contains seven security advisories, to address multiple vulnerabilities in Cisco IOS Software. These vulnerabilities may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial-of-service condition.

US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review the security advisories listed in the Cisco IOS Software Security Advisory bundled publication (cisco-sa-20100324-bundle) and apply any necessary updates to help mitigate the risks.