Mozilla Firefox Version 128.0.3 Released

  Mozilla sent Firefox Version 128.0.3 to the Release Channel.

Fixed

• Fixed an issue causing some sites to not load when connecting via HTTP/2. (Bug 1908161, Bug 1909666)
• Fixed collapsed table rows not appearing when expected in some situations. (Bug 1907789)
• Fixed the Windows on-screen keyboard potentially concealing the webpage when displayed. (Bug 1907766)

Update: To get the update now, select "Help" from the Firefox menu, then pick "About Firefox".  Mac users need to select "About Firefox" from the Firefox menu.  For non-English versions, Fully Localized Versions are available for download.

Release Notes

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

Optional Hotfix Patch for Adobe Reader and Acrobat

 

Adobe has released an optional hotfix patch that addresses some important bug fixes.

Update or Complete Download

Reader DC and Acrobat DC were updated to version 24.002.20965.  Updates should become available via the internal updater or checks can be manually activated by choosing Help/Check for Updates.  

Reader DC and other versions are available here: https://get.adobe.com/reader/

Note: UNcheck any pre-checked additional options presented with the update. They are not part of the software update and are completely optional.

References

• Release Notes

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

Mozilla Firefox Version 128.0.2 Released

  Mozilla sent Firefox Version 128.0.2 to the Release Channel.

Fixed

• Fixed an audio echo in video calls on macOS under certain conditions. (Bug 1908539)
• Fixed an issue where the Adguard extension popup was not displaying. (Bug 1906132)
• Fixed an issue causing some screen readers to fail to read when navigating by character in rich text editors. (Bug 1905021)
• Fixed visual glitches when dark mode is enabled in Windows ARM devices. (Bug 1897444)
• Fixed an issue causing NTLM authentication failure. (Bug 1908115)
• Fixed an issue where content displayed on mouseover was not captured in a screenshot. (Bug 1905468)
• Various stability fixes.

Update: To get the update now, select "Help" from the Firefox menu, then pick "About Firefox".  Mac users need to select "About Firefox" from the Firefox menu.  For non-English versions, Fully Localized Versions are available for download.

Release Notes

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

Oracle Java SE Update Released

 

Oracle released the scheduled update for its Java SE Runtime Environment software.  This is a bugfix update.

Download Information

Java SE Runtime Environment Version 8u421: https://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp.

Java Security Recommendations

1)  If Java is still installed on your computer, it is recommended that all updates be applied as soon as possible and older, less secure, versions uninstalled.  See Why should I uninstall older versions of Java from my system?.
2)  In the Java Control Panel, at minimum, set the security to high.
3)  Keep Java disabled until needed.  Uncheck the box "Enable Java content in the browser" in the Java Control Panel.

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
• Important: The Edge browser does not support plug-ins.  In the event you still have a need for Java, it will be necessary to use Firefox or open with Internet Explorer mode (See Microsoft Edge Enhancements for IE Mode).

Patch Schedule

For Oracle Java SE, the next scheduled update is September 17, 2024.  The planned release schedule is available here.

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 publicized 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, that 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.

References

• Java, The Never-Ending Saga  
• Critical Patch Updates and Security Alerts
• Release Notes
• Oracle Java SE Risk Matrix 
• Oracle Security Blog 

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

Adobe Acrobat/Reader Update with Security Updates

 

Adobe is releasing an update with bug fixes and new features for Acrobat and security updates for Acrobat and Reader. 

The security updates provide mitigations for vulnerabilities described in the security bulletin.

Update or Complete Download

Adobe Acrobat and Reader were updated to version 24.002.20933.  Updates should become available via the internal updater or checks can be manually activated by choosing Help/Check for Updates.  

Reader DC and other versions are available here: https://get.adobe.com/reader/

Note: UNcheck any pre-checked additional options presented with the update. They are not part of the software update and are completely optional.

Release Notes

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 33.2.1 Released with Security Update

  Pale Moon has been updated to version 33.2.1.  This is a bug fix and security update.

Changes/fixes:

• Fixed a crash in CSS grid layout.
• Set hidden HTML elements to actually always be hidden.
• Updated NSS to 3.90.3.
• Updated SQLite to 3.46.0.
• Fixed an issue with setting of cookies.
• Fixed an issue in Linux IPC code.
• Fixed an issue with DNS prefetching (disabled by default).
• Security issues addressed: CVE-2024-6611, CVE-2024-6612 DiD and several others (mostly DiD) that do not have a CVE number assigned.

Notes:

*DiD This means that a fix is "Defense-in-Depth": It is a fix that does not apply to a (potentially) actively exploitable vulnerability in Pale Moon, but prevents future vulnerabilities caused by the same code, e.g. when surrounding code changes, exposing the problem, or when new attack vectors are discovered.

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

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.

Release Notes
Release Cycle

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

Microsoft July 2024 Security Updates

 

The Microsoft June 2024 security updates have been released and consist of 138 new patches to Microsoft products. Including third-party CVEs documented, the total number of CVEs reported is 141.

Of the Microsoft CVEs released, 5 are rated critical, 133 important, and 3 moderate in security. At the time of release, two of the CVEs are listed as being publicly known of which one is a third-party update that is now being integrated into Microsoft products.  Two are listed as under active attack.

The security updates apply to the following products, features and roles: Windows and Windows Components; Office and Office Components; NET and Visual Studio; Azure; Defender for IoT; SQL Server; Windows Hyper-V; Bitlocker and Secure(?) Boot; Remote Desktop; and Xbox.

See the list of KBs at the bottom of the page at June 2024 Security Updates - Release Notes - Security Update Guide - Microsoft for information regarding known issues with the security updates as well as the CVEs with FAQs, Mitigations and/or Workarounds. For specific information on Windows 11, versions 23H2 and 22H2, see KB5040422.  For Windows 10, Version 22H2 see KB5040427.

Recommended Reading:   See Dustin Childs review and analysis in Zero Day Initiative -- The June 2024 Security Update Review.

Additional Update Notes:

• Windows 11 End of Support -- On October 8, 2024, Windows 11, version 21H2 (Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions) and Windows 11, version 22H2 (Home and Pro editions) will reach end of support. The October 8, 2024 update will be the last security update available for these editions. 
• MSRT -- The Malicious Software Removal Tool is now run on a quarterly basis rather than monthly.  See Remove specific prevalent malware with Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. 
• Servicing Stack Updates -- Microsoft now combines the latest servicing stack update (SSU) for your operating system with the Latest Cumulative Updates (LCU). For general information about SSUs, see Servicing stack updates and Servicing Stack Updates (SSU): Frequently Asked Questions.
  
• Windows updates are cumulative. The monthly security release includes all security fixes for vulnerabilities that affect Windows, in addition to non-security updates. The updates are also available via search for the KB number in the Microsoft Update Catalog.
• For information on lifecycle and support dates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems, please see Windows 10 Home and Pro and Windows 11 Home and Pro.
• Windows Update History:
• Windows 11
• Windows 10

 

References

• Security Update FAQ
• Security Updates Guide

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

Mozilla Firefox Version 128.0 Released with Security Updates

 Mozilla sent Firefox Version 128.0 to the Release Channel. ESR was updated to Version 115.13.0.

The update includes sixteen security updates of which four (4) are rated high, eight (8) are rated moderate, and four (4) are rated low.

HIGH​

#CVE-2024-6605: Firefox Android missed activation delay to prevent tapjackin
#CVE-2024-6606: Out-of-bounds read in clipboard component
#CVE-2024-6604: Memory safety bugs fixed in Firefox 128, Firefox ESR 115.13, and Thunderbird 115.13
#CVE-2024-6615: Memory safety bugs fixed in Firefox 128

Moderate

#CVE-2024-6607: Leaving pointerlock by pressing the escape key could be prevented
#CVE-2024-6608: Cursor could be moved out of the viewport using pointerlock.
#CVE-2024-6609: Memory corruption in NSS
#CVE-2024-6610: Form validation popups could block exiting full-screen mode
#CVE-2024-6600: Memory corruption in WebGL API
#CVE-2024-6601: Race condition in permission assignment
#CVE-2024-6602: Memory corruption in NSS
#CVE-2024-6603: Memory corruption in thread creation

Low​

#CVE-2024-6611: Incorrect handling of SameSite cookies
#CVE-2024-6612: CSP violation leakage when using devtools
#CVE-2024-6613: Incorrect listing of stack frames
#CVE-2024-6614: Incorrect listing of stack frames

NEW

• Firefox can now translate selections of text and hyperlinked text to other languages from the context menu.
• For users in the US and Canada, Firefox will now show your recent searches or currently trending searches when you open the Address Bar to get you back to your previous search session or inspire your next one.
• Firefox now has a simpler and more unified dialog for clearing user data. In addition to streamlining data categories, the new dialog also provides insights into the site data size corresponding to the selected time range.
• Firefox now supports playback of protected content from streaming sites like Netflix while in Private Browsing mode.
• Firefox now supports the experimental Privacy Preserving Attribution API, which provides an alternative to user tracking for ad attribution. This experiment is only enabled via origin trial and can be disabled in the new Website Advertising Preferences section in the Privacy and Security settings.
• On macOS, microphone capture through getUserMedia will now use system-provided voice processing when applicable, improving audio quality.
• Firefox is now available in the Saraiki (skr) language.

Fixed

• Firefox now proxies DNS by default when using SOCKS v5, avoiding leaking DNS queries to the network when using SOCKS v5 proxies.

Changed

• Firefox now supports rendering more text/* file types inline, rather than requiring them to be downloaded to be viewed.
• The root certificate used to verify add-ons and signed content has been renewed to avoid upcoming expiration.

Update: To get the update now, select "Help" from the Firefox menu, then pick "About Firefox".  Mac users need to select "About Firefox" from the Firefox menu.  For non-English versions, Fully Localized Versions are available for download.

References

• Security Updates
• Release Notes
• Rapid Release Calendar
• ESR Release Notes

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

Optional Hotfix Patch for Adobe Reader and Acrobat

 

Adobe has released an optional hotfix patch that addresses some important bug fixes.

Update or Complete Download

Reader DC and Acrobat DC were updated to version 24.002.20895 for Windows and version x.20893 for Mac.  Updates should become available via the internal updater or checks can be manually activated by choosing Help/Check for Updates.  

Reader DC and other versions are available here: https://get.adobe.com/reader/

Note: UNcheck any pre-checked additional options presented with the update. They are not part of the software update and are completely optional.

References

• Release Notes

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

Mozilla Firefox Version 127.0.2 Released with Updates

   Mozilla sent Firefox Version 127.0.2 to the Release Channel.

Fixed

• Fixed an issue where YouTube playback may experience stalling under certain conditions (bug 1900191, bug 1878510).
• Fixed an issue where the Private Window icon was displayed in the taskbar on Windows when browser.privateWindowSeparation.enabled was set to false (bug 1901840).
  

Update: To get the update now, select "Help" from the Firefox menu, then pick "About Firefox".  Mac users need to select "About Firefox" from the Firefox menu.  For non-English versions, Fully Localized Versions are available for download.

Release Notes

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

June 2024 Windows 11 Non-Security Preview Update

 Microsoft released KB5039302 (OS Builds 22621.3810 and 22631.3810 today for Windows 11 23H3 and Windows 11 22H2. 

Update 27Jun2024:  KB5039302 released as part of the June non-security preview update has been paused due to issues which cause devices to restart repeatedly. tinyurl.com/3jretfus

IMPORTANT:  The date for optional, non-security preview releases for Home and Pro versions of Windows 11, version 22H2 has been extended from February 27, 2024 to June 26, 2024. 

Highlights

• This update addresses an issue that affects Snipping Tool. When you use it to record videos on some PCs, the audio has distortions.
• This update addresses an issue that affects the touch keyboard. You cannot use it to enter special characters. This occurs when you use the Japanese 106 keyboard.
• This update addresses an issue that affects USB devices. Ejecting them using the Safely Remove Hardware option fails. This occurs when Task Manager is open.
• This update adds a new Game Pass recommendation card on the Settings home page. This home page shows on Home and Pro editions when you sign in to Windows using your Microsoft account.
• The show desktop button is on the taskbar again by default. To change this, right-click the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings. At the lower part of the page, you will find Taskbar behaviors.

In addition, see the KB Article for a list of new features that may not be available to everyone as they will be rolling out gradually.

Update:  To get the update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. The link to download and install the update can be found in the Optional updates available area.  To get the standalone package for this update, go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

References:

Windows 11 update history

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

June 2024 Windows 10 Non-Security Preview Update

 Microsoft released KB5039299 for Windows 10 version 22H2 optional non-security release preview (Windows monthly updates explained).

Highlights

§  This update addresses an issue that affects an app’s jump list on the taskbar. Completing actions from that list might fail. A jump list is a menu that appears when you right-click an app on the taskbar or Start menu. It gives you quick access to recently or frequently used app items.

§  This update addresses an issue that affects the default Japanese Input Method Editor (IME). The candidate window stops responding when you do not expect it. Then, it goes back to a former composition state at random.

§  This update addresses a known issue that might occur when you right-click some apps. Instead of running the task you choose from the context menu, an “Open with” dialog appears. It asks you, "How do you want to open this file?" This issue might affect any app that has tasks on a context menu. This issue also affects the icons on the taskbar and Start menu.

See the KB article for the list of quality improvements included in the update.

This update makes quality improvements to the servicing stack, which is the component that installs Windows updates. Servicing stack updates (SSU) ensure that you have a robust and reliable servicing stack so that your devices can receive and install Microsoft updates. For general information about SSUs, see Servicing stack updates and Servicing Stack Updates (SSU): Frequently Asked Questions.

Update:  To get the update, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. The link to download and install the update can be found in the Optional updates available area.  To get the standalone package for this update, go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website.

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...

Mozilla Firefox Version 127.0.1 Released with Updates

 

   Mozilla sent Firefox Version 127.0.1 to the Release Channel.

Fixed

• Fixed an issue where users with a primary password set on their profile could lose their previous session of tabs upon upgrading if they dismissed the primary password prompt (bug 1901899).
• Fixed an issue where Linux users with accessibility.monoaudio.enable set to true were experiencing slow audio speeds (bug 1900972).
• Fixed an issue where, in some circumstances, the Firefox installer on Windows failed to complete the installation (bug 1896868).
• Fixed an issue causing Firefox to incorrectly reject cookies for certain websites (bug 1901325).

Update: To get the update now, select "Help" from the Firefox menu, then pick "About Firefox".  Mac users need to select "About Firefox" from the Firefox menu.  For non-English versions, Fully Localized Versions are available for download.

Release Notes

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 33.2.0 Released with Security Updates

 Pale Moon has been updated to version 33.2.0.  This is a development, stability and security release.

New features:

• Implemented the missing parts of the html5 <dialog> element, including modal handling and custom backdrops.
• Implemented courser, user-configurable granularity for the canvas poisoning anti-fingerprinting measure. See implementation notes.
• Implemented new CSS viewport units svw, svh, svmin, svmax, lvw, lvh, lvmin, lvmax, dvw, dvh, dvmin and dvmax.
• Implemented new CSS logical viewport units vb, vi, svb, svi, lvb, lvi, dvb and dvi.

Changes/fixes:

• Removed the archaic and wholly outdated FIPS security module code.
• Removed the archaic DBM support code for storing of passwords in DBM format files.
• Removed the -moz prefix from -moz-fit-content, aligning with the current CSS standard fit-content value.
• Updated our build system by adopting parts of the old autoconf 2.13 as maintained code. autoconf 2.13 is no longer a build requirement. If you build from source, you may want to review your dependencies with this change.
• Fixed issues when building with GCC 14.* and Clang 16.*.
• Fixed issues with emoji sequence clusters causing incorrect rendering of emoji glyphs in some cases.
• Made some arguments to the legacy XPathEvaluator/XPathExpression interfaces optional for web compatibility.
• Fixed a crash when reporting JavaScript module exporting errors.
• Updated checking of special cookie prefixes to be case-insensitive in accordance with the current RFC 6265 (bis-11+).
• Fixed issues with external protocol handlers.
• Fixed an issue where autocomplete pop-ups would stay open in some circumstances.
• Fixed an issue with potentially bad file names being entered by the user to "Save As...".
• Fixed several crashes and race conditions.
• Security issues addressed: CVE-2024-5699, CVE-2024-5702 DiD, CVE-2024-5690, CVE-2024-5698 DiD, CVE-2024-5688 DiD, CVE-2024-5692 and several other security issues (some more DiD) that do not have CVE numbers assigned to them.

Notes:

*DiD This means that a fix is "Defense-in-Depth": It is a fix that does not apply to a (potentially) actively exploitable vulnerability in Pale Moon, but prevents future vulnerabilities caused by the same code, e.g. when surrounding code changes, exposing the problem, or when new attack vectors are discovered.

Mac builds have switched to Xcode 15 and are now cross-compiled from Apple silicon for Intel targets. While the resulting builds have been tested on a few Intel Mac systems, this is a big build change, so please get in touch through our forum if you experience any issues with these builds on Mac.

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

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.

Release Notes
Release Cycle

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

Optional Update for Adobe Reader and Acrobat

 

Adobe is releasing an optional hotfix patch for Acrobat and Acrobat Reader that addresses some important bug fixes.

Update or Complete Download

Adobe Acrobat and Reader were updated to version 24.002.20857.  Updates should become available via the internal updater or checks can be manually activated by choosing Help/Check for Updates.  

Reader DC and other versions are available here: https://get.adobe.com/reader/

Note: UNcheck any pre-checked additional options presented with the update. They are not part of the software update and are completely optional.

Release Notes

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