Adobe Flash End-of-Life and How To Uninstall

Posted on January 28, 2021 by harjit

Adobe Flash Player went out of support as of December 31, 2020. For more information, see the Adobe Flash Player EOL General Information Page.

Microsoft has released update KB4577586, which is named “Update for the removal of Adobe Flash Player: October 27, 2020“. This update removes Adobe Flash from all Windows 10 and Windows Server systems. Please note: Once this update has been installed, it cannot be removed. Also, this update will only uninstall the ActiveX version of Adobe Flash, and not those installed via other mechanisms.

This update is currently not available in Windows Server Update Service (WSUS), and therefore is only available via the Microsoft Update Catalog. Microsoft states that it will be made available in early 2021.

Manual Installation:
You can install this update manually on systems running Windows 10 or server OS such as Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, and 2019 by downloading the update using the Microsoft Update Catalog portal, and selecting the appropriate OS for your system.

Deployment Using WSUS/ConfigMgr:
To deploy this update to multiple systems, you will need to use WSUS to import the update.
1. Launch the WSUS console, expand your server name, then click on Updates in the left-hand pane.
2. In the right-hand Actions pane, click on Import Updates. This will launch the Microsoft Update Catalog in your default browser.

3. In the Microsoft Update Catalog portal, click in the Search box on the top right hand side, and type KB4577586, and click Search.

4. Select the update for the desired OS types, and click on the Add button. This will add the updates to the basket.

5. Click on view basket on the top right-hand side of the page, which is located right below the search box. You will find all the updates you have added to be imported. Make sure that the checkbox for “Import directly into Windows Server Update Services” is selected, and then click the Import button. A window will open to show the import progress and when completed, the updates will be in WSUS.

In case you run into the following failed import state, you will need to add a fix in the registry.

By clicking on the red button labeled “Failed“, you will see it mentions the error number 80131509 with a description as seen in the image below.

To fix the error, launch the registry console by running regedit on the server.
Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319.

Create a new DWORD (32-bit) key, and specify the name as SchUseStrongCrypto and apply the value as 1. Then, restart the server.

Update With ConfigMgr:
If you use ConfigMgr to manage and deploy your Windows Updates, you will need to run a Software Update sync from the ConfigMgr console to pull in the recently imported updates from WSUS.

In the ConfigMgr console, under the Software Library node, go to Software Updates > All Software Updates. To synchronize updates, you can either click the Synchronize Software Updates button on the top left-hand of the console or right-click on “All Software Updates, and select “Synchronize Software Updates” from the pop-out menu.

On successful completion of the software update sync, you will find the update for KB4577586 under “All Software Updates”. At this point, you will need to download the updates into a deployment package, and then deploy the updates to the device collections.

I will add the steps and screen captures to show how to download and deploy the updates using ConfigMgr in my next update or revision of this blog post. Stay tuned.

The resources below are other options available to uninstall using PowerShell scripts. These were written by my friend Ben Whitmore aka ByteBen. He uses the application method instead of the software updates method to uninstall Adobe Flash from systems using the scripts he wrote. Check it out:

1. How to Uninstall Adobe Flash Player from Windows 10 with ConfigMgr
2. Deploy the Update for Removal of Adobe Flash Player (KB4577586) using Intune

Here’s a YouTube episode on Namaste Techies covering all about Adobe Flash removal, including demos and useful tips. Please like and subscribe to the channel. Thanks.

January 2021 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday and Other Patches

Posted on January 19, 2021 by harjit

Microsoft has released fixes for 83 vulnerabilities, with ten updates classified as Critical and 73 as Important.

Windows 10 Updates for January 2021:

KB4598242 (OS Builds 19041.746 and 19042.746) for Windows 10 version 20H2/2004
KB4598229 (OS Build 18363.1316) for Windows 10, version 1909
KB4598230 (OS Build 17763.1697) for Windows 10 version 1809
KB4598245 (OS Build 17134.1967) for Windows 10 version 1803
KB4599208 (OS Build 15063.2614) for Windows 10 version 1703
KB4598243 (OS Build 14393.4169) for Windows 10 version 1607
KB4598231 (OS Build 10240.18818) for Windows 10, initial release

Additional January 2021 Patching Resources:

MSRC – January 2021 Security Updates
MSRC Japan
Advisory ADV990001 for the latest service stack update (SSU)
Advisory ADV200002 for Chromium Security Update for Microsoft Edge
Windows PsExec zero-day vulnerability patch
Adobe Security patches
Cisco Security patches
Apple Security patches
Scan Changes and certificates add security for Windows devices using WSUS for updates
CISA Remote Vulnerability and Patch Management guide
Printer RPC binding changes for CVE-2021-1678
Netlogon Domain Controller Enforcement Mode enabled by default on February 9, 2021
Security Update for Secure Boot DBX
Zero Day Initiative blog
Oracle Critical Patch Update for January 2021

On January 12, 2021 (Pacific Time), Microsoft released security updates affecting the following Microsoft products:

Product Family	Maximum Severity	Maximum Impact	Associated KB Articles and/or Support Webpages
Windows 10 v20H2, v2004, v1909, v1809, and v1803	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Windows 10 v2004 and Windows 10 v20H2: 4598242 Windows 10 v1909: 4598229 Windows 10 v1809: 4598230 Windows 10 v1803: 4598245
Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, and Server Core installations (2019, 2016, v20H2, v2004, v1909)	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Windows Server 2019: 4598230 Windows Server 2016: 4598243 Windows Server v2004 and Windows Server v20H2: 4598242 Windows Server v1909: 4598229
Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Monthly Rollup: 4598285 Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Security Only: 4598275 Windows Server 2012 Monthly Rollup: 4598278 Windows Server 2012 Security Only: 4598297
Microsoft Office-related software	Important	Remote Code Execution	KB Articles associated with Microsoft Office-related software: 4493156, 4486736, 4486755, 4486759, 4486762, 4486764, 4493142, 4493143, 4493145, 4493160, 4493165, 4493168, 4493171, 4493176, 4493181, 4493183, and 4493186
Microsoft SharePoint-related software	Important	Remote Code Execution	KB Articles associated with Microsoft SharePoint-related software: 4486683, 4486724, 4493161, 4493162, 4493163, 4493167, 4493175, 4493178, and 4493187
Microsoft .NET-related software	Important	Denial of Service	Find details on security updates for .NET Framework-related software in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
Microsoft SQL Server-related software	Important	Elevation of Privilege	KB Articles associated with Microsoft SQL Server-related software: 4583456, 4583457, 4583458, 4583459, 4583460, 4583461, 4583462, 4583463, and 4583465
Microsoft Visual Studio-related software	Important	Remote Code Execution	KB Articles associated with Microsoft Visual Studio-related software: 4584787
Microsoft Malware Protection Engine	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Find details for security updates for the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide

Notes:

The summary above is an overview of updates for the most recent versions of commonly used software.
Updates for older versions, apps, and open source software may not be listed.
Updates may have been added or removed from the release after this content was finalized.
Find details for all updates in the monthly release in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
For additional details, see the release notes at: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2021-Jan

Security vulnerability overview:

Below is a summary showing the number of vulnerabilities addressed in this release, broken down by product/component and by impact.

Vulnerability Details	RCE	EOP	ID	SFB	DOS	SPF	TMP	Publicly Disclosed	Known Exploit	Max CVSS
Windows 10 v20H2 & Windows Server v20H2	13	31	10	6	2	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows 10 v2004 & Windows Server v2004	13	31	10	6	2	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows 10 v1909 & Windows Server v1909	13	30	8	6	2	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows 10 v1809 & Windows Server 2019	13	30	8	6	1	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows 10 v1803	13	30	7	6	1	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows Server 2016	13	27	7	5	2	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2	13	17	6	4	2	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows Server 2012	13	17	5	2	1	0	0	1	0	8.8
Microsoft Office-related software	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7.8
Microsoft SharePoint-related software	4	2	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	8.8
Microsoft SQL Server-related software	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8.8
Microsoft Visual Studio-related software	1	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	7.8
Microsoft .NET-related software	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	7.5
Microsoft Malware Protection Engine	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	7.8
RCE = Remote Code Execution \| EOP = Elevation of Privilege \| ID = Information Disclosure \| SFB = Security Feature Bypass \| DOS = Denial of Service \| SPF = Spoofing \| TMP = Tampering

Notes:

Vulnerabilities that overlap components may be represented more than once in the table.
The summary above is an overview of updates for commonly used software. Updates for older versions, apps, and open source software may not be listed.
Updates may have been added or removed from the release after this content was finalized.
Find details for all updates in the monthly release in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
For additional details, see the release notes at: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2021-Jan

Resources for deploying updates to remote devices:

With so many people working remotely, it is a good time to review guidance on deploying security updates to remote devices, such as desktops, laptops, and tablets. Here are some resources to answer questions pertaining to deploying updates to remote devices.

Part 1: Helping businesses rapidly set up to work securely from personal PCs and mobiles
Part 2: Helping IT send and provision business PCs at home to work securely during COVID-19
Part 3: Manage work devices at home during Covid-19 using Configuration Manager
Part 4: Managing remote machines with cloud management gateway (CMG)
Part 5: Managing Patch Tuesday with Configuration Manager in a remote work world

See also:
Mastering Configuration Manager Bandwidth limitations for VPN connected Clients

Vulnerability details for the current month:

Below are summaries for some of the security vulnerabilities in this release. These specific vulnerabilities were selected from the larger set of vulnerabilities in the release for one or more of the following reasons: 1) We received inquiries regarding the vulnerability; 2) the vulnerability may have received attention in the trade press; or 3) the vulnerability is potentially more impactful than others in the release. Because we do not provide summaries for every vulnerability in the release, you should review the content in the Security Update Guide for information not provided in these summaries.

Notes on details in the vulnerability summaries:

Attack Vector	This metric reflects the context by which vulnerability exploitation is possible. The Base Score increases the more remote (logically, and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerable component.
Attack Complexity	This metric describes the conditions beyond the attacker’s control that must exist in order to exploit the vulnerability. Such conditions may require the collection of more information about the target or computational exceptions. The assessment of this metric excludes any requirements for user interaction in order to exploit the vulnerability. If a specific configuration is required for an attack to succeed, the Base metrics should be scored assuming the vulnerable component is in that configuration.
Privileges Required	This metric describes the level of privileges an attacker must possess before successfully exploiting the vulnerability.
User Interaction	This metric captures the requirement for a user, other than the attacker, to participate in the successful compromise the vulnerable component. This metric determines whether the vulnerability can be exploited solely at the will of the attacker, or whether a separate user (or user-initiated process) must participate in some manner.

CVE-2021-1674	Windows Remote Desktop Protocol Core Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
Impact	Security Feature Bypass
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	8.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1674

CVE-2021-1673	Remote Procedure Call Runtime Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	8.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1673

CVE-2021-1643	HEVC Video Extensions Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	Required
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	HEVC Video Extensions
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1643

CVE-2021-1648	Microsoft splwow64 Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Impact	Elevation of Privilege
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	Yes
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1648

CVE-2021-1665	GDI+ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1665

CVE-2021-1705	Microsoft Edge (HTML-based) Memory Corruption Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	4.2
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	High
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	Required
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	Low
Integrity	Low
Availability	None
Affected Software	Microsoft Edge (EdgeHTML-based)
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1705

CVE-2021-1707	Microsoft SharePoint Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation more likely
CVSS Base Score	8.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2013, SharePoint Foundation 2010, SharePoint Server 2019, and SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1707

CVE-2021-1714	Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	Required
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Microsoft Excel 365 Apps for Enterprise, Excel Services, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Office 2010, Office 2013, Office 2016, Office 2019, Office 2019 for Mac, Office Online Server, Office Web Apps Server 2013, and Office SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013.
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1714

CVE-2021-1715	Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	Required
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Microsoft Excel 365 Apps for Enterprise, Word 2010, Word 2013, Word 2016, Office 2010, Office 2019, Office 2019 for Mac, Office Online Server, Office Web Apps 2010, Office Web Apps Server 2013, Office SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013, SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016, SharePoint Server 2010, and SharePoint Server 2019
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1715

CVE-2021-1636	Microsoft SQL Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Impact	Elevation of Privilege
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	8.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Microsoft SQL Server 2012, SQL Server 2014, SQL Server 2016, SQL Server 2017, and SQL Server 2019
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1636

CVE-2021-1647	Microsoft Defender Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	Yes
Exploitability	Exploitation detected
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Microsoft Security Essentials, System Center 2012 R2, System Center Endpoint Protection, Windows Defender
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1647

Disclosure: Source for the info below:

List of patched Office security vulnerabilities

Office security updates published as part of the January 2021 Patch Tuesday address bugs exposing Windows systems running vulnerable Click to Run and Microsoft Installer (.msi)-based editions of Microsoft Office products to remote code execution (RCE) attacks.

Microsoft rated the six RCE bugs patched this month as Important severity issues since they could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the currently logged-in user.

Tag	CVE ID	CVE Title	Severity
Microsoft Office	CVE-2021-1713	Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office	CVE-2021-1714	Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office	CVE-2021-1711	Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office	CVE-2021-1715	Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office	CVE-2021-1716	Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1712	Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1707	Microsoft SharePoint Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1718	Microsoft SharePoint Server Tampering Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1717	Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1719	Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1641	Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability	Important

January 2021 Microsoft Office security updates

Microsoft Office security updates are delivered through the Microsoft Update platform and via the Download Center.

Further information about each of them is available within the knowledge base articles linked below.

To download the January 2021 Microsoft Office security updates, you have to click on the corresponding knowledge base article below and then scroll down to the ‘How to download and install the update‘ section.

Microsoft Office 2016

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Excel 2016	Security update for Excel 2016 (KB4493165)
Office 2016	Security update for Office 2016 (KB4493168)
Office 2016	Security update for Office 2016 (KB4486755)
Word 2016	Security update for Word 2016 (KB4493156)

Microsoft Office 2013

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Excel 2013	Security update for Excel 2013 (KB4493176)
Office 2013	Security update for Office 2013 (KB4486762)
Office 2013	Security update for Office 2013 (KB4486759)
Word 2013	Security update for Word 2013 (KB4486764)

Microsoft Office 2010

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Excel 2010	Security update for Excel 2010 (KB4493186)
Office 2010	Security update for Office 2010 (KB4493143)
Office 2010	Security update for Office 2010 (KB4493142)
Office 2010	Security update for Office 2010 (KB4493181)
Word 2010	Security update for Word 2010 (KB4493145)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Office Online Server	Security update for Office Online Server (KB4493160)
SharePoint Server 2019	Security update for SharePoint Server 2019 (KB4493162)
SharePoint Server 2019 Language Pack	Security update for SharePoint Server 2019 Language Pack (KB4493161)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2016

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016	Security update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 (KB4493163)
SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016	Security update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 (KB4493167)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Office Web Apps Server 2013	Security update for Office Web Apps Server 2013 (KB4493171)
Project Server 2013	Cumulative update for Project Server 2013 (KB4493173)
SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013	Security update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013 (KB4486724)
SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013	Security update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013 (KB4486683)
SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013	Cumulative update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013 (KB4493150)
SharePoint Foundation 2013	Security update for SharePoint Foundation 2013 (KB4493175)
SharePoint Foundation 2013	Cumulative update for SharePoint Foundation 2013 (KB4493172)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Project Server 2010	Cumulative update for Project Server 2010 (KB4493182)
SharePoint Foundation 2010	Security update for SharePoint Foundation 2010 (KB4493187)
SharePoint Server 2010	Security update for SharePoint Server 2010 (KB4493178)
SharePoint Server 2010	Security update for SharePoint Server 2010 (KB4486736)
SharePoint Server 2010	Cumulative update for SharePoint Server 2010 (KB4493184)
SharePoint Server 2010 Office Web Apps	Security update for SharePoint Server 2010 Office Web Apps (KB4493183)

Malware Isn’t Just For Windows Anymore – Fruitfly Is Hitting Macs Hard

Posted on July 31, 2017 by harjit

This year’s cyber threat epidemic started with Windows, then spread over to Linux and third-party apps, and now is here for Macs. While the latest malware Fruitfly is targeting Mac computers, its malware library is also capable of running on Linux systems.

Though it was recently found conducting surveillance attacks, it’s possible Fruitfly has been infecting Mac systems for over two years. It appears that the base code of Fruitfly is over a decade old, which begs the question: how can decade-old malware start breaching systems now? Haven’t our systems been updated over the last ten years?

It seems the Fruitfly developers have reused old code and modified it to give this malware extra power and capabilities. This cross-platform malware uses old APIs, but if there are any changes in the API, it will break the legitimate program to maintain reverse compatibility as long as possible. Fruitfly may have escaped detection for a long time because it appears that its creators have intentionally limited how many computers it targets. And since Mac systems don’t usually face as many threats as Windows, many administrators have been more lenient with patching their Macs, leaving them vulnerable to attacks such as Fruitfly.

You can identify Fruitfly infections by detecting suspicious network traffic. A file integrity monitor or log analyzer can help you identify an attack on your network, but a breach could be avoided altogether by keeping your systems up-to-date. Since most enterprises comprise different operating systems, it isn’t advisable to employ a separate patching tool for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The smarter alternative would be for an enterprise to employ a multi-platform patch management solution that helps update every computer from a single console. However, there are only a few solutions on the market that even support third-party patching, and even less that provide complete control over all enterprise devices, including mobile devices.

These last few months have already given security professionals a lot to cover, and since cyber attacks are evolving at rapid rate, its high time enterprises maintain endpoint security by keeping their systems up-to-date. The best way to do this is to employ a patch management solution to stay safe from future ransomware and malware. One such solution is ManageEngine’s Desktop Central.

Desktop Central is integrated desktop and mobile device management software. This multi-platform solution helps automate your overall patch management process, and also has some other enhanced features to help secure your network. Download ManageEngine Desktop Central Now and keep your Windows, Mac, Linux and all your third party applications completely safe and up-to-date.

Follow me (@Hoorge) on Twitter and join Tech Konnect on Facebook and Twitter (@TechKonnect) to stay current on technology related matters.

Microsoft Security Updates Guide (Portal)

Posted on January 22, 2017 by harjit

For the last 20 years, Microsoft has provided security bulletins as individual web pages which were available from the Microsoft Security Bulletin website, and January 10, 2017 was the last time this was made available. Going forward starting in February 2017, the new Security Update Guide portal will provide the security information via a dashboard. Knowledge Base (KB) number, CVE number, vulnerability, Windows version, or date of release can be searched on the online Security Update Guide (SUG) database.

According the the blogpost by the MSRC Team, using the new portal, you can:

Sort and filter security vulnerability and update content, for example, by CVE, KB number, product, or release date.
Filter out products that don’t apply to you, and drill down to more detailed security update information for products that do.
Leverage a new RESTful API to obtain Microsoft security update information. This eliminates the need for you to employ outdated methods like screen-scraping of security bulletin web pages to assemble working databases of necessary and actionable information.

If you have any feedback, you can send them to: [email protected].

Follow me (@Hoorge) on Twitter and join Tech Konnect on Facebook and Twitter (@TechKonnect) to stay current on technology related matters.

Harjit Dhaliwal

Microsoft MVP, IT Professional, Technology Evangelist, Social Media Influencer, Photographer

Tag Archives: Security

Adobe Flash End-of-Life and How To Uninstall

January 2021 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday and Other Patches

Disclosure: Source for the info below:

Malware Isn’t Just For Windows Anymore – Fruitfly Is Hitting Macs Hard

Microsoft Security Updates Guide (Portal)