Memorial Day: Remembering Those Who Gave Their All for Their Country

Vietnam Memorial Wall
April 30, 2005
Photograph by Luigi Masu

Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember those who have died in the service of their country.  It is also a time when I remember a very special Canadian who likely knew more about U.S. politics and history than most U.S. citizens. Memorial Day 2007 was his last blog post, reading in part:

"Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). For more history of Memorial Day visit Memorial Day History."

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 for May, 2017

After today, Windows 10 devices running version 1507 will no longer receive security and quality updates.  Instructions on how to update to the latest Windows 10 version are available in this Microsoft support article.

May Security Update Details:

The May Microsoft updates address vulnerabilities in  Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office and Microsoft Office Services and Web Apps, .NET Framework and Adobe Flash Player for Windows 8.1 and above.  Addressed in the updates are Remote Code Execution and Elevation of Privilege.  

For more information about the updates released today, see https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance/summary.  Information about the update for Windows 10 is available at Windows 10 update history.

However, to actually have a better understanding about the updates released today, see Zero Day Initiative — The May 2017 Security Update Review by Dustin Childs.
 

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. 
• 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

• Coming together to address Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) attacks – MSRC
• 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...

Adobe Flash Player Critical Update

Adobe has released Version 25.0.0.171 of Adobe Flash Player for Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, Chrome and Linux.

These updates address critical vulnerabilities including a use-after-free vulnerability that could lead to code execution and memory corruption vulnerabilities that could lead to code execution.

Release date:  May 9 11, 2017
Vulnerability identifier: APSB17-15
CVE number: CVE-2017-3068, CVE-2017-3069, CVE-2017-3070, CVE-2017-3071, CVE-2017-3072, CVE-2017-3073, CVE-2017-30744
Platform: Windows, Macintosh, Linux and Chrome OS

Update:

• With the option to 'Allow Adobe to install updates', the update will be automatic. Without that setting enabled, either install the update via the update mechanism when prompted or via the Download Center*.
• Windows 7 and earlier:  Installation links for Windows 7 and earlier are provided by Adobe at Installation problems | Flash Player | Windows 7 and earlier: 
• Flash Player for Internet Explorer - ActiveX 
• Flash Player for Firefox/Pale Moon - NPAPI
• Flash Player for Opera and Chromium-based browsers - PPAPI
• Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer 11:  Adobe Flash Player will be automatically updated to the latest version for Windows 8.1 and 10.
• Google Chrome:  Adobe Flash Player will be automatically updated to the latest Google Chrome version.
• Flash Player Uninstaller:  http://download.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/support/uninstall_flash_player.exe
• Adobe AIR:  Adobe - Adobe AIR

*Important Note:  Downloading the update from the Adobe Flash Player Download Center link includes a pre-checked option to install unnecessary extras, such as McAfee Scan Plus or Google Drive.  If you use the download center, uncheck any unnecessary extras that you do not want.  They are not needed for the Flash Player update.

Verify Installation

To verify the Adobe Flash Player version number installed on your computer, go to the About Flash Player page, or right-click on content running in Flash Player and select "About Adobe Flash Player" from the menu. 

Do this for each browser installed on your computer.

To verify the version of Adobe Flash Player for Android, go to Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > Adobe Flash Player x.x.

References

• Adobe Priority Ratings
• AIR Download Center 
• Installing and Updating Flash Player - FAQ
• Release Notes:  Flash Player® 25 AIR® 25
• Security Bulletin
• PSIRT

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