Java 6.29: Oracle has released SE 6 Update 29 to patch at least 20 security vulnerabilities, many of them highly critical. Readers can check their version of Java and update to the latest version at the Java Update Site.

Opera 11.52: The highly critical security vulnerability identified last week in Opera has been patched. To update: Help> Check for Updates.

Newly Announced Unpatched Vulnerabilities

Google Chrome: A vulnerability has been reported in Google Chrome.  No patch is available at this time. Readers are advised to not open files in Chrome from untrusted sources.

Microsoft Office Publisher 2007: A moderately critical vulnerability has been reported in Microsoft Office Publisher. No patch is available at this time. Readers are advised to not use content from untrusted sources.

For Your IT Department

Cisco: Cisco has released two security advisories to address vulnerabilities affecting CiscoWorks Common Services and Cisco Show and Share. More information is available from US-CERT.

Oracle October Patch Update: Oracle has released its Critical Patch Update Advisory for October 2011 to address 77 vulnerabilities across multiple products. More information is available from US-CERT.

Important Unpatched Vulnerabilities

Adobe Photoshop Elements: Adobe versions 1 – 8 contain a highly critical unpatched vulnerability. The vulnerability is confirmed in version 8.0 20090905.r.605812 and Adobe reports that the vulnerability affects versions 8.0 and earlier. We first alerted readers to this vulnerability in Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report, October 9, 2011.

ACDSee Photo: Several highly critical vulnerabilities have been identified in various ACDSee photo products. Vulnerabilities have been identified in FotoSlate, Photo Editor 2008, and Picture Frame Manager. No patches are available at this time. Readers should refrain from using ACDSee to open untrusted files. We first alerted readers to this vulnerability in Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report, June 12. We alerted readers to a second vulnerability in FotoSlate in Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report, September 18.

ACD Systems Canvas CorelDRAW: A highly critical vulnerability has been found in ACD Systems Canvas which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user’s system. Users should not view untrusted CDR files. Readers should refrain from opening untrusted files in ACD Systems Canvas. We first alerted readers to this vulnerability in Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report, July 31.

HTC Smartphones: As we reported in our Cyber Security News of the Week, October 9, 2011, HTC has confirmed a data-leakage vulnerability in some smartphone models that it manufactures and said it’s working on a fix. According to HTC, when the patch is ready, it will be sent over-the-air to customers, who will be notified to download and install it. My search of the news speaks of the fix in the future tense. We have not yet seen news that HTC has fixed this vulnerability.

HTC Mobile Devices: The security vulnerability in the default Twitter application (Peep) in HTC products remain unpatched. Readers should refrain from using the default Twitter application (Peep). We first alerted readers to this vulnerability in Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report, February 11.

Microsoft Windows XP: A less-critical security vulnerability has been found in Windows XP which can be exploited by malicious, local users to disclose potentially sensitive information or cause a DoS (Denial of Service). No patch is available at this time. We first alerted readers to this vulnerability in Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report, August 7.

Microsoft Word: A highly critical vulnerability has been found in Microsoft Word XP and 2002. No patch is available at this time. Readers should refrain from opening untrusted files in these earlier versions of Word. We first alerted readers to this vulnerability in Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report, June 19.

Microsoft Office for Mac: A highly critical vulnerability has been discovered in Microsoft Office for the Mac which can be exploited by cyber criminals to take control of a user’s computer. Security updates are currently unavailable. Readers should refrain from opening untrusted files in Office. We first alerted readers to this vulnerability in Weekend Vulnerability & Patch Report, May 13, 2011.

Microsoft Reader: The highly critical vulnerability in Microsoft Reader, versions 2.x, remains unpatched.  Readers should refrain from opening untrusted files in Reader. We first alerted readers to this vulnerability in Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report, April 15.

PDF-Pro: Several highly critical vulnerabilities in PDF-Pro, a popular alternative to Adobe Acrobat, remain unpatched. Readers should refrain from opening untrusted files in PDF-Pro. We first alerted readers to this vulnerability in Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report, March 4.

Quick View Plus CorelDRAW: A highly critical vulnerability has been found in Quick View Plus which can be exploited by malicious people to compromise a user’s system. Users should not view untrusted CDR files in Quick View Plus. We first alerted readers to this vulnerability in Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report, July 31.

If you are responsible for keeping your computer secure, our weekly report is for you. We strongly urge you to take action to keep your workstation secure.

If someone else is responsible for keeping your computer secure, protect it by forwarding our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to them and following up to make sure your computer has been patched.

Vulnerability management is a key element of cyber security management. Cyber criminals take over user computers by writing computer programs that “exploit” vulnerabilities in operating systems (Windows, Apple OS, etc) and application programs (Adobe Acrobat, Office, Flash, Java, etc). When software companies find a vulnerability, they will issue an update patch to fix the code running in their customer’s computers.

Citadel publishes our Weekend Vulnerability and Patch Report to alert readers to some of the week’s important updates and vulnerabilities. Our focus is on software typically found in the small or home office (SOHO) or that users are likely to have on their home computer. The report is not intended to be a thorough listing of updates and vulnerabilities.