patches

Microsoft has released two critical security updates for Windows and Internet Explorer as part of its latest round of Patch Tuesday updates. 

Included in the patches are seven important updates for Office, SharePoint, and Windows Server products, which are hitting the usual update channels today.

The first critical bulletin affects versions of Internet Explorer 6 and above on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. It also affects Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8 and Windows RT-based tablets.

It addresses two separate flaws, one that allows remote code execution -- such as a malware injection -- if an affected … Read more

A new kind of vulnerability popped up recently, one that lets hackers stick a USB thumb drive into a computer -- even if it's logged-off or locked -- type out a bit of attack code and steal whatever data they want.

In an effort to avoid this type of cyberattack, Microsoft issued its monthly software patches today and included a fix for this Windows vulnerability called MS13-027. This vulnerability lets a hacker get into the computer with a thumb drive and take over administrative privileges.

"When the Windows USB device drivers enumerate the device, parsing a specially crafted … Read more

Windows users will get the usual round of security patches from Microsoft next Tuesday.

Among the seven fixes due to roll out March 12, four are rated critical, which means they address flaws that could let an attacker execute malware on a remote PC by steering a user to a malicious Web site or e-mail link.

The patch for Internet Explorer is designed to shore up all versions from IE6 to IE10 across all iterations of Windows from XP to Windows 8 and RT. The patch for Microsoft's Silverlight, a browser plug-in that can display online videos and other … Read more

In response to discovering that hackers were actively exploiting two vulnerabilities in Java running in Web browsers, Oracle has released an emergency patch that it says should deal with the problem.

"These vulnerabilities may be remotely exploitable without authentication, i.e., they may be exploited over a network without the need for a username and password," Oracle wrote in a security alert today. "For an exploit to be successful, an unsuspecting user running an affected release in a browser must visit a malicious web page that leverages these vulnerabilities. Successful exploits can impact the availability, integrity, and … Read more

Over the years you may have accumulated a lot of old video game consoles and, naturally, getting rid of them is not an option. After all, you've spent so much time with your beloved console. Like an old friend, full of memories and adventures, it's hard to let go.

Or maybe you're a collector who likes to play older games every now and then for the nostalgia. I'm in both camps. And unfortunately my television is not equipped with enough inputs to have all my game systems connected at once and ready to play at a moment's notice.

There is a solution to this problem! … Read more

It's February 12, yet another Patch Tuesday. Among the security fixes aplenty that Microsoft is rolling out today are a few other non-security-specific updates for Windows RT and Windows 8.

As previously announced, the February cumulative update includes fixes designed to improve Surface Wi-Fi reliability and connectivity, a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed.

Microsoft also has provided a fix for the app-store-downloading bug that a number of Surface RT and Windows RT users reported a few weeks back. The problem resulted in Windows RT systems entering "Connected Standby" while the devices were downloading new Windows Updates via Automatic Update. … Read more

Microsoft is deploying a larger bunch of bug fixes this month than usual.

Next week's Patch Tuesday will address 57 different security vulnerabilities through 12 separate updates.

The bugs stretch across a range of programs, including Windows, Internet Explorer, Windows Server, Microsoft Exchange, and Microsoft's .Net Framework.

Five of the 12 patches are rated critical, so they're designed to patch holes that could allow someone to execute malicious code on an unprotected PC. Two of the critical patches are aimed at all versions of Internet Explorer from 6 through 10. That means all current versions of Windows … Read more

Microsoft will fix a zero-day hole in IE today almost a week after this month's regular Patch Tuesday updates.

Discovered late last month, the vulnerability could allow attackers to gain control of a Windows computer running one of the older versions of IE by directing users to malicious Web sites. In response, Microsoft had suggested several workarounds and even offered a "one-click fix" designed to mitigate the problem, but those were considered temporary solutions.

Today's update will fully resolve the issue, according to Microsoft. Scheduled for rollout at 10 a.m. PT, the fix will be … Read more

Security flaws in Adobe Flash, Reader, and Acrobat could have been the cause of computer crashes recently. The software company announced today that it sent out updates for these three programs, which are meant to patch security vulnerabilities that cause such system crashes.

"These updates address a vulnerability that could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system," the company wrote in a security bulletin today. "Adobe recommends users update their product installations to the latest versions."