Oracle Java SE Critical Security Update

Oracle released the scheduled critical security updates for its Java SE Runtime Environment software.  The Critical Patch Update contains 14 new security fixes for Oracle Java SE.  Twelve (12) of these vulnerabilities may be remotely exploitable without authentication, i.e., may be exploited over a network without requiring user credentials. 

Update

If Java is still installed on your computer, it is recommended that this update be applied as soon as possible due to the threat posed by a successful attack.

Download Information

Java SE 8u171/ 8u172

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/8u171-relnotes-4308888.html
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/8u172-relnotes-4308893.html
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jre8-downloads-2133155.html

Java SE 10.0.1  (x64-bit only)

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/10-0-1-relnotes-4308875.html
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jre10-downloads-4417026.html

Notes:

• UNcheck any pre-checked toolbar and/or software options presented with the update. They are not part of the software update and are completely optional.  Preferably, see the instructions below on how to handle "Unwanted Extras".  
• Oracle does not plan to migrate desktops from Java 8 to Java 9 through the auto update feature.  Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you uninstall JRE 8 prior to updating.
• Verify your version:  http://www.java.com/en/download/testjava.jsp.   Note:  The Java version verification page will only work if your browser has NPAPI support.  In that case, to check the version, open a cmd window and enter the following (note the space following Java):  java -version

Critical Patch Updates

For Oracle Java SE Critical Patch Updates, the next scheduled dates are as follows:

• 17 July 2018
• 16 October 2018
• 15 January 2019
• 16 April 2019

Unwanted "Extras"

Although most people do not need Java on their computer, there are some programs and games that require Java.  In the event you need to continue using Java, How-to Geek discovered a little-known and  unpublicized option in the Java Control Panel to suppress the offers for the pre-checked unwanted extras that Oracle has long included with the updates.  Although the Ask Toolbar has been removed, tha does not preclude the pre-checked option for some other unnecessary add-on.

Do the following to suppress the sponsor offers:

1. Launch the Windows Start menu
2. Click on Programs
3. Find the Java program listing
4. Click Configure Java to launch the Java Control Panel
5. Click the Advanced tab and go to the "Miscellaneous" section at the bottom.
6. Check the box by the “Suppress sponsor offers when installing or updating Java” option and click OK.

Java Security Recommendations

1)  In the Java Control Panel, at minimum, set the security to high.
2)  Keep Java disabled until needed.  Uncheck the box "Enable Java content in the browser" in the Java Control Panel.

3)  Instructions on removing older (and less secure) versions of Java can be found at http://java.com/en/download/faq/remove_olderversions.xml

References

• Java, The Never-Ending Saga  
• Critical Patch Updates and Security Alerts
• Critical Patch Updates, Security Alerts and Third Party Bulletin
• Oracle Quality Assurance Blog 

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Pale Moon Version 27.9.0 Released

Pale Moon has been updated to version 27.9.0. 

Note:  This is the last major development update for the v27 milestone (codenamed "Tycho").  After this, the focus will be for new features entirely on UXP and the new v28 milestone building on it. Version 27.9 will continue to be supported with security and stability updates for a while, but no major new features will be added from this point forward.

From the Release Notes:

Changes/fixes:

• Fixed a number of spec compliance issues in our media subsystem.
• Added a trailing slash to referrers when policy is set to fix some web compatibility issues.
• Fixed the property order in Object.getOwnPropertyNames(string) and others for web compatibility.
• Updated RegExp(RegExp object, flags) to the ES6 standard specification.
• Changed the embedded font from the no longer free EmojiOne to the open-licensed Twemoji (with additional fixes). This also further extends unicode support to Unicode 10 emoji(s). Please note that as a result, color emoji(s) will look different than before.
  
• Adjusted some things in our memory allocator code to provide, among other things, better allocation alignment on Windows.
  
• Made the attempt to migrate people from the old sync server domain name to the current one more aggressive. We will be retiring the old pmsync.palemoon.net Sync server address shortly to remove the need for us to maintain a security certificate for it; this preference migration should automatically put everyone on the correct server address (pmsync.palemoon.org) when upgrading.
  
• Made reading of the sessionstore synchronous, to speed up startup and prevent the homepage from being loaded when restoring a session.
  
• Added a fix to switch to the correct window/tab when a web notification is clicked.
  
• Changed the placeholder text to not include "Search" when all search functions from the address bar are disabled.
  
• Enabled the use of Skia for canvas on Linux and OSX.
  
• Worked around a potential cause for some non-standard bitmapped fonts ending up with incorrect line heights (I'm looking at you, Noto fonts!).
  
• Added a workaround for incorrectly-encoded JPEG-XR images with planar alpha. Ultimately, the jxrlib reference implementation should be fixed to encode according to spec.
  
• Aligned XCTO:nosniff allowed script MIME types with the updated spec.
  
• Improved the logic for storing vector images in the surface cache.
  
• Fixed character set handling for XMLHttpRequests.

 Minimum system Requirements (Windows):

• Windows Vista/Windows 7/8/10/Server 2008 or later
• Windows Platform Update (Vista/7) strongly recommended
  
• A processor with SSE2 instruction support
  
• 256 MB of free RAM (512 MB or more recommended)
  
• At least 150 MB of free (uncompressed) disk space

Pale Moon includes both 32- and 64-bit versions for Windows:

• 32x:  Pale Moon - x32 builds
• 64x:  Pale Moon - x64 builds

Update

To get the update now, select "Help" from the Pale Moon menu at the upper left of the browser window.  Select About Pale Moon > Check for Updates.

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...

Microsoft Security Updates, April 2018

The April security release consists of 67 CVEs, of which 24 are listed as Critical, 42 are rated Important and 1 is rated Moderate in severity. One is listed as being publicly known and none are listed as being under active attack.  

The updates address Remote Code Execution, Information Disclosure, Denial of Service and Security Feature Bypass.  The release consists of security updates for the following software:

• Internet Explorer
• Microsoft Edge
• Microsoft Windows
• Microsoft Office and Microsoft Office Services and Web Apps
• ChakraCore
• Adobe Flash Player
• Microsoft Malware Protection Engine
• Microsoft Visual Studio
• Microsoft Azure IoT SDK

Known Issues: 4093112 4093118 4093108

Note:  KB4100375 (OS Build 17133.73) has been released to Windows Insiders running Build 17133 in the Fast, Slow, and Release Preview rings. This update includes the following quality improvements (no new OS features):

• Addresses a PDF security issue in Microsoft Edge.
• Addresses an issue that, in some instances, prevents Internet Explorer from identifying custom controls.
• Security updates to Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft scripting engine, Windows kernel, Microsoft graphics component, Windows Server, Windows cryptography, and Windows datacenter networking.

As usual, Dustin Childs has provided a closer look at some of the patches for this month.in this month's Zero Day Initiative — The April 2018 Security Update Review.

More:  For more information about the updates released today, see https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance/summary.  Updates can be sorted by OS from the search box. Information about the update for Windows 10 is available at Windows 10 Update history.

Additional Update Notes

• Adobe Flash Player -- For Windows Server 2012, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1 and Windows 10, Adobe Flash Player is now a security bulletin rather than a security advisory and is included with the updates as identified above.
• MSRT -- Microsoft released an updated version of the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool on Windows Update, Microsoft Update, Windows Server Update Services, and the Download Center.  Note:  Users who are paranoid about the remote possibility of a FP can opt to run this tool from a Command Prompt, appending a   /N   parameter [for "detect only" mode].
• Windows 10 -- A summary of important product developments included in each update, with links to more details is available at Windows 10 Update History. The page will be regularly refreshed, as new updates are released.

References

• Release Notes
• Security Update FAQ
• Security Updates Guide
• Windows 10 Update History

Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted."
May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...