Category Archives: Patches and updates

Firefox, Patches and updates

Firefox 38.0.5

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Mozilla continues to shovel more features into Firefox. This week we have Firefox 38.0.5, which adds support for Pocket (a ‘save for later’ service) and Reader mode, which provides simplified views of any web page. Version 38.0.5 also fixes a couple of nasty performance and display bugs that were introduced in recent versions. The 38.0.5 release notes provide additional details. No security issues were addressed in this update.

Mozilla is re-evaluating Firefox’s release notes, even going so far as to ask the community for feedback. Now if we can just get them to do something about the total lack of new version announcements. As usual, there was no proper announcement for this new version, although there was a post on the Mozilla blog that discusses Pocket and Reader.

Update 2015Jun10: I recently encountered an article on a site that displays everything as white text on a black background. I can only read a site like that for a few seconds before my eyes start to go blurry, so I decided to try Firefox’s new Reader mode. The near-unreadable text was transformed into beautiful, uncluttered, easy-on-the-eyes text. So apparently my offhand dismissal of Reader mode was a mistake: it’s actually a very useful feature, especially for those of us past a certain age.

Adobe, Patches and updates, Security, Shockwave

Shockwave 12.1.8.158

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The latest version of Adobe Shockwave is 12.1.8.158, which was actually released on April 22. The release notes don’t even mention it.

You can check the version of Shockwave on your computer by going to the Windows Programs and Features control panel, where it appears as Adobe Shockwave Player. Alternatively, you can check your browser’s add-ons: in Firefox, Shockwave appears in the Plugin list as Shockwave for Director. You can also check the installed version and install the latest version on the Shockwave Player Help page.

Firefox, Patches and updates, Security

Firefox 38.0 released

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Another stealth release from our friends at Mozilla, Firefox 38.0 fixes at least thirteen security issues.

Other changes in this release include tab-based preferences, as well as HTML5 enhancements and improvements to developer tools.

If you’re tired of waiting for Mozilla to issue proper release announcements, you can always get your Firefox news from another source, like the CERT alerts blog.

Update 2015May14: Two days later, and Firefox still isn’t updating itself. I’m not sure if there’s a problem with Mozilla’s update process, or if it’s just sluggish. According to Mozilla:

By default, Firefox is set to automatically update itself but you can always do a manual update. Here’s how:
1. Click the menu button, click help (question mark icon) and select About Firefox.
2. The About Firefox window will open and Firefox will begin checking for updates and downloading them automatically.

What I’m finding is that while the About box may be checking for updates, it’s not finding one, or in any case even if it finds one, it’s not downloading anything. It just says ‘Firefox is up to date’.

In any case, since this release contains fixes for security issues, I’m going to install it manually from the main download page. That page correctly identifies that I’m running an older version and offers a link to download the new version.

Update 2015May14: Via the official #firefox IRC channel, I was just informed that once again, a new version of Firefox is causing crashing problems. Version 38.0 has been pulled from release, and we can expect a fixed version 38.0.1 later this week.

Flash, Internet Explorer, Microsoft, Patches and updates, Security, Windows

Microsoft updates for May 2015

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It’s the second Tuesday of the month, so Microsoft is pushing out another set of updates. This month there are thirteen updates, addressing about 50 vulnerabilities in Windows, Internet Explorer, .NET, Office, and Silverlight. Three are flagged as Critical.

As always with security updates affecting Windows, you should install these as soon as possible.

Two of the updates (MS15-044 and MS15-049) affect Silverlight. Once you install these updates, your version of Silverlight should be 5.1.40416.0, which you can confirm on the Get Silverlight page. Installing from that page will also update Silverlight to version 5.1.40416.0. That’s also the only way you can get the latest version if you’re using Windows XP.

Adobe, Chrome, Flash, Google, Patches and updates, Security

Security updates for Adobe Flash and Reader

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Updates for Flash and Reader/Acrobat, released earlier today by Adobe, address a variety of security vulnerabilities “that could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.”

Flash 17.0.0.188 includes fixes for at least eighteen vulnerabilities, all of which have been flagged as Critical.

Adobe Reader/Acrobat version 11.0.11 addresses seven Critical vulnerabilities.

Anyone still using Flash in a web browser should update Flash as soon as possible. If you use Adobe Reader to open PDF files from unknown sources, you should update Reader as soon as possible. As usual, newer versions of Internet Explorer will auto-update, as will Chrome (to version 42.0.2311.152).

Internet, Patches and updates, Security, WordPress and other CMS

WordPress 4.2.2 and critical theme updates

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A new version of WordPress addresses several critical security issues. Version 4.2.2 also fixes some non-security issues that were introduced in WordPress 4.2.

The vulnerabilities fixed in WordPress 4.2.2 are being actively exploited on the web, so anyone who operates a WordPress site should immediately check whether the new version has been auto-installed, and if not, install it.

Another vulnerability was recently discovered in the Twenty Fifteen theme that comes packaged with newer versions of WordPress. An updated version of the theme that addresses the issue is now available.