Despite the fact that Windows 8 has not yet started appearing on store shelves, Microsoft is releasing a set of updates for the new operating system. Since Windows 8’s RTM (release to manufacturing), several new issues have been discovered, and the updates are intended to address those issues.
Anyone testing or evaluating Windows 8 should install the updates, which are available through Microsoft Update.
Anyone buying a new computer with Windows 8 installed on it should check for and install any pending updates immediately after powering up the computer for the first time. Anyone installing Windows 8 after it is released to retail should also immediately check for and install any pending updates.
It’s Patch Tuesday and Microsoft has released seven security bulletins, affecting Windows, Word, Internet Explorer and other Microsoft software. A total of 20 vulnerabilities are addressed by the updates. We covered the details in a previous post. As always, we encourage everyone running affected software to apply the updates as soon as possible.
Released yesterday, version 11.4.402.287 addresses security, performance and stability issues in the previous versions of Flash. Users are encouraged to install the new Flash as soon as possible.
Note that at the time of this post, the Flash Player Update Announcement on Adobe’s site shows the wrong version in the first paragraph. It should show the new version as 11.4.402.287 but instead shows it as 11.4.402.278.
There’s another new version of Google’s Chrome web browser. Version 22.0.1229.92 addresses several security holes and includes a new version of Flash. The full details are available in the update announcement.
Also included in the upcoming updates will be Microsoft Security Advisory (2661254): Update For Minimum Certificate Key Length. This update is the final step in a series of actions taken by Microsoft to improve Internet-based security for its products. This update will force RSA-encrypted communications in Internet Explorer and Outlook to use keys that are 1024 bits in length or greater. If you access secure web sites with Internet Explorer or use encrypted email with Outlook, this update may cause those services to stop working. For further details, see:
Google’s been busily fixing security holes and adding interesting new features to its web browser.
The latest version of Chrome is 22.0.1229.79, and it includes fixes for at least forty-two vulnerabilities, as well as some enhancements specific to Windows 8, and a new ability for Javascript called ‘Pointer Lock‘.
Version 11.4.402.278 of Flash for Internet Explorer and other major Windows web browsers was released on September 18 with little or no fanfare. No release notes are yet available, so it’s unclear what changes were made in the new version. Additional information will be posted here as it becomes available.
It’s a light month for Microsoft patches. Many users won’t be affected at all by the two updates announced by Microsoft for release today, since those updates are for Windows development and server software.
Rants and musings on topics of interest. Sometimes about Windows, Linux, security and cool software.
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