Topic: August 10. - "MEGA" Patch Tuesday!

[Samker]

Microsoft announced today that it will be releasing a mega ‘Patch Tuesday', where they will fix security holes and vulnerabilities in their software: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS10-aug.mspx

The record breaking update will deliver 14 security bulletins, fixing a record-tying 34 vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Office, Internet Explorer and Silverlight. Microsoft hasn't addressed this many vulnerabilities in a single month since June 2010, but only released 10 bulletins.

Out of the 14 bulletins, 8 were labeled as “Critical,” Microsoft's highest severity level, the other 6 patches were labeled as “Important,” the next level down from Critical.  The patches will address remote code executions (RCE) and elevation of privileges.

The patches will fix security holes in the following operating systems and software:

    * Windows XP Service Pack 2 & 3 *
    * Windows Vista Service Pack 1 & 2
    * Windows 7
    * Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2
    * Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2
    * Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3
    * Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3
    * Microsoft Office 2007 Service Pack 2
    * Microsoft Office for Mac 2004 & 2008
    * Open XML File Format Converter for Mac
    * Microsoft Office Word Viewer
    * Microsoft Office compatibility pack for Word, Excel & PowerPoint 2007
    * Microsoft Works 9
    * Microsoft Silverlight 2 & 3

* = Windows XP Service Pack 2 will only received limited updates.

These patches are expected to roll out on Tuesday August 10, 2010, and may require a restart.

(NW)

[AllSecurityUp]

14 is a lot.  MS does have a lot of products and is supporting a lot of major OS's at the moment, but I guess it's also an indication of the sophistication of the security environment these days.

One thing about MS updates, they are quite passive to perform ans it's relatively simple for users to keep updated with security to such critical components of their system.

[Fireberg]

Not At all.....anyway....i think this pack is only to confront piracy!!

Thanx

[bBbLaHhH]

no office 2010 update?  NIIICE!!  I guess that means office 2010 is running top notch so far =P

Which could mean all unlegit copies of office 2010 cannot be updates via windows updates.

I find these updates take quite sometime to make it through to the computers at my work.  REALLY LONG TIME...

[scott0720]

I find most security / network administrators at work verify and test the patches with the applications that are running thru their environments.  We have a policy that unless it is critical to fixing a virus outbreak and depending on what it is, that it has to be QA'd thru our group against applications that have been custom written for our company.  Its surprising how many of these patches will seemingly break custom written apps that call out to strange handles...

[AllSecurityUp]

I find most security / network administrators at work verify and test the patches with the applications that are running thru their environments.  We have a policy that unless it is critical to fixing a virus outbreak and depending on what it is, that it has to be QA'd thru our group against applications that have been custom written for our company.  Its surprising how many of these patches will seemingly break custom written apps that call out to strange handles...

This is also a good policy, but most people don't have the time nor ability to do this, so updating is generally a good policy.