There are a few patches to address this week. The developer of the browser Firefox released 39 fixes for various vulnerabilities today, including four considered critical and two high-level. In addition, Adobe has released a security patch for a vulnerability that was reported earlier in the week as a result of the breach of the surveillance-ware maker, Hacking Team (referenced as CVE-201505119).
According to the security advisory from Mozilla, the related security patches for Firefox fix some use-after-free vulnerabilities, validation process flaws, memory issues, and a buffer overflow problem.
It is recommended that anyone that uses the Firefox browser update it immediately. Remember that it must be updated on each device on which it is used. In addition, all Adobe Flash Plug-ins should be updated in each browser used. They will all need the update applied individually. Some browsers update automatically, but others don’t, so check your version and react accordingly.
The Adobe Flash update is considered a top priority for Windows and OS X users because the bug is currently being exploited on those systems. However, the fix applies to Linux as well. Criminals will infect vulnerable computers with malware that may allow them to take control of the system.
Alternatively, some security experts are suggesting that it may be better to uninstall or disable the Flash plug-in. It is also possible to set the browser to only play Flash files if you explicitly confirm it by right clicking and selecting “run this plugin” (click-to-play).
While you are at it, make sure that your Microsoft patches are current as well. In June, the company released patches for two critical issues; one for Internet Explorer and one for Media Player. Both could allow remote code execution if exploited.
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