Gladiator Research and Security

Microsoft has announced six new patches for its monthly patch release cycle.  These patches are for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office.  Three patches are rated Critical and affect Microsoft Windows, allowing for remote code execution on vulnerable systems.  Gladiator recommends that users immediately apply all Critical patches to their systems. Detailed information for the patches can be found in Microsoft’s November Security Bulletin. 

GSA Reference Number: AD091026-01

Simply Put: A phishing email is currently circulating that appears to be from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).  The email includes a link that will forward users to a fraudulent website that will request personal information and attempt to infect the user’s machine with viruses.  We have already detected infections at several financial institutions as a result of this email.

GSA Reference Number: AD091014-01

Simply Put: Adobe has released a critical patch to address 29 security vulnerabilities in its Acrobat and Reader products. These vulnerabilities have been rated Critical and could lead to remote code execution or denial of service.  All versions of Acrobat and Reader earlier than 9.2 are affected, including Windows, Macintosh and Unix versions.  Gladiator recommends that this patch is applied to all workstations as soon as possible.

Microsoft has announced 13 new patches for its monthly patch release cycle.  These patches fix multiple Microsoft products, including Windows, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft .NET Framework.   Eight patches are rated Critical, and affect all of the previously listed products, thereby allowing for remote code execution on vulnerable systems.  Gladiator recommends that users  immediately apply all Critical patches to their systems. Detailed information for the patches can be found in Microsoft’s October Security Bulletin. 

GSA Reference Number: AD090925-01

Simply Put: Cisco has announced eleven new vulnerabilities in multiple Cisco products.  Nine of the vulnerabilities affect Cisco’s IOS – the operating system for many Cisco devices.  Cisco IOS is present on Cisco routers and switches.  Two more vulnerabilities affect Unified Communications Manager.  The vulnerabilities cover denial of service and authentication bypass on IOS, as well as denial of service and remote code execution on Unified Communications Manager.   Many of these vulnerabilities are considered Critical by Gladiator, since a denial of service on a router would result in loss of Internet access.  Note: Cisco Firewalls do not run Cisco IOS and are not vulnerable to these issues.

GSA Reference Number: AD090909-01

Simply Put: Cisco has announced a new vulnerability in multiple Cisco products, including Cisco ASA and PIX appliances and routers.  The vulnerability covers a resource exhaustion issue with TCP connections, which causes a denial of service.  Some devices may need to be rebooted to fully recover.  This vulnerability is considered Critical by Gladiator. We will be reviewing all CoreDEFENSE-monitored Cisco ASA and PIX devices for susceptibility.

Microsoft has announced five new patches for its monthly patch release cycle.  These patches fix multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows.   All five patches are rated Critical, allowing for remote code execution on vulnerable systems.   Gladiator recommends that users immediately apply all Critical patches to their systems. Detailed information for the patches can be found in Microsoft’s September Security Bulletin.