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Zero Day

Ryan Naraine, Emil Protalinski and Dancho Danchev

Adobe ships another mega-patch for PDF Reader

By | October 5, 2010, 3:40pm PDT

Summary: The latest mega-patch, available for Windows, Mac and UNIX users, covers a whopping 23 security flaws that could cause software crashes or remote code execution attacks.

Adobe has slapped another band-aid on its heavily targeted PDF Reader/Acrobat product line, warning that hackers are already exploiting some of these vulnerabilities to launch malware attacks.

The latest mega-patch, available for Windows, Mac and UNIX users, covers a whopping 23 security flaws that could cause software crashes or remote code execution attacks.

Affected Software Versions:

  • follow Ryan Naraine on twitterAdobe Reader 9.3.4 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and UNIX
  • Adobe Acrobat 9.3.4 and earlier versions for Windows and Macintosh

The company rates these vulnerabilities as “critical” and urged users to immediately upgrade to Adobe Reader 9.4.

[ New PDF zero-day under attack ]

This patch batch was rushed out in response to zero-day attacks that exploited at least two of the 23 security holes.

The next quarterly security updates for Adobe Reader and Acrobat are scheduled for February 8, 2011.

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Topics

Ryan Naraine is a journalist and social media enthusiast specializing in Internet and computer security issues.

Disclosure

Ryan Naraine

The most important disclosure is of my employment with Kaspersky Lab as a member of the global research and analysis team. Kaspersky Lab is a global company specializing in anti-malware and secure content management technologies. I do not own stocks or other investments in any technology company.

Biography

Ryan Naraine

Ryan Naraine is a journalist and social media enthusiast specializing in Internet and computer security issues. He is currently security evangelist at Kaspersky Lab, an anti-malware company with operations around the globe. He is taking a leadership role in developing the company's online community initiative around secure content management technologies.

Prior to joining Kaspersky Lab, Ryan was Editor-at-Large/Security at eWEEK, leading the magazine's and Web site's coverage of Internet and computer security issues and managing the popular SecurityWatch blog, covering the daily threats, vulnerabilities and IT security technologies. He also covered IT security, hacker attacks and secure content management topics for Jupiter Media's internetnetnews.com.

Ryan can be reached at naraine SHIFT 2 gmail.com. For daily updates on Ryan's activities, follow him on Twitter.

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RE: Adobe ships another mega-patch for PDF Reader
deaf_e_kate 7th Oct 2010
@Loverock Davidson
Pot kettle black - and you've been doing it for years and years and never grown up
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Hey look a new Zero-Day attack!
Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate Updated - 5th Oct 2010
What?
You mean you have to patch again? Why?
Oh. I see. You are using Windows. Well, now I understand.

But if you want my advice, switching to Ubuntu Linux with LSM AppArmor and sandboxed Evince (PDF reader) will keep you safe from any PDF exploit.

And, LSM AppArmor security doesn't stop there. You can turn on profiles for your Firefox browser, Evolution email, and even Pidgin IM sessions.

If there isn't a stock AA profile for your special Linux App, creating a profile isn't difficult.

The point here isn't that Linux can't get infected by Zero-Day exploits--it's that Canonical understands this and is proactively offering standard AA sandbox profiles for its user-base.

There's no getting around the fact that Apps on any platform when written inevitably have software bugs that result in 'unintended side effects'. That is what the hackers are looking for (fuzzing) and they design buffer overflows to induce privilege escalation on your operating system.

This is where AA comes alive and steps in. AA polices both your App and the kernel's actions and if their actions are not defined in the App's profile, they simply get refused--stopped cold.

So, Ubuntu Linux isn't immune to infection, but you can be assured that any App you run with an AA profile will keep any zero-day exploit from escalating and seizing control of your machine. That is the point. And you can be assured that Canonical will provide a timely update to fix known vulnerabilities/exploits in a matter of days, or even the same day reported--not just once a month like the Windows 'first Tuesday' of the month patch cycle.

That is the way it should be. Get peace of mind with Ubuntu Linux.

Ubuntu Linux: The safest operating system on the planet.

I stake my reputation on it.

More about AppArmor here:
h-t-t-p-s://help.ubuntu.com/community/AppArmor
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Fascinating
Mister Spock 5th Oct 2010
Even with the overwhelming proof provided by others that what you say is highly innacurate, you still continue to post those same falsehoods on this site, hoping that one day someone might suddenly be fooled.

Humans can be highly illogical at times.
plain
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@Mister Spock

Ok Mister Spock Point out what is wrong with what he wrote! Prove him wrong! I use Apparmor! And I read the reports that it puts out! Hmm No He speaks the truth! FF and Crome are LOCKED DOWN! hmm So is Java! And more! Use the program for your self don't believe the drivel!!!

Randy A. Stiles, Linux Advocate!
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RE: Adobe ships another mega-patch for PDF Reader
betelgeuse68 Updated - 5th Oct 2010
@Dietrich T. Schmitz

Or you can use EMET 2.0 on Windows:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=c6f0a6ee-05ac-4eb6-acd0-362559fd2f04

Which short circuited the zero day flaw this Adobe patch plugged up:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20016161-83.html?tag=topTechContentWrap;editorPicks

Then you don't have to be a LINUX nerd.

Seriously mang, I love LINUX. I have Ubuntu 10.04 LTS on a VM and I use LINUX every day on my job as a sys admin but the average lay person just does not care. Simple as that. It's hard enough to get them to use low hanging fruit and you consistently propose the use of an entirely different OS along with talk where you'll lose 98% of your audience immediately.

EMET 2.0 will cause most people to shrug their shoulders and not bother and it is incredibly effective at arbitrary execution attacks like the zero day exploit that Adobe just patched. And if they won't go for that, do you seriously think someone will bother changing OSes?

Give it a rest,
-M
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Give it a rest? Why?
Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate 6th Oct 2010
@betelgeuse68
Isn't it serious enough to speak up? Or would you rather live with mediocrity?

Seriously, EMET is a start, but isn't part of the kernel.
Nor does it police the kernel's action itself.

But EMET does show MS is beginning to take responsibility. That is good.

Prior to EMET, MS offered no mitigation tool and all Admins could do is turn off a feature, wait for a patch and hope it will be delivered 'out of band' or resort to putting a bead of silicon caulk on their cat5 jack and duct tape on the power switch.

AppArmor is part of the mainline Linux Kernel as of 2.6.35.

AppArmor has been installed with Ubuntu since version 7.04.

Thanks but, I'll keep getting out the message even at the risk of repeating myself.
  • Flagged
@Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate
So if I understand it correctly, what you say is that if I have apparmor enabled than I dont have to update vulnerable softwares. Once apparmor is enabled I dont have to patch anything ever again. Is that right ? Because thats what I could comprehend from what you have written.
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Incorrect on your understanding.
Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate 6th Oct 2010
@MSPawar
Patches from Ubuntu come in due course, automatically, and are available in a matter of days or even the same day a zero-day vulnerability is reported.

The point: LSM AA stops zero-day vulnerabilities.
  • Flagged
@Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate
"What?
You mean you have to patch again? Why?
Oh. I see. You are using Windows. Well, now I understand. "
This is from your comment. Seriously tell me what do those sentences mean ? I can understand you promoting some OS which you think is good, but you need to do it clearly without sending improper messages about other OSs.
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@Dietrich

"Patches from Ubuntu come in due course, automatically"

Isn't that same capability available with Windows?

Or does Ubuntu update Adobe's software automatically?
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RE: Adobe ships another mega-patch for PDF Reader
Loverock Davidson 5th Oct 2010
@Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate

Its sad that all you can do with linux is copy and paste. All that supposed man power with thousands of individuals working on it and all you can do is copy & paste. That is my conclusion since all your posts are the exact same. Based on that I can no longer recommend linux to anyone. I'll stick with Microsoft Windows since it allows me to do anything I want to include not just copy & paste, but type up new documents, browse the web, use a wide selection of multimedia, and take full advantage of my hardware.

Microsoft Windows 7 -- Officially endorsed by Linus Torvalds!
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Now that's funny LD.
Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate 6th Oct 2010
@Loverock Davidson

Please. Have more DayQuil. Your humor quotient is rising.
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RE: Adobe ships another mega-patch for PDF Reader
Loverock Davidson 6th Oct 2010
@Dietrich T. Schmitz

Thanks, I knew you would admit I'm right. I'll be sure to tell everyone about this in the future. Again, thanks for giving me more credit.
@Loverock Davidson: Continually repeating it over and over again. Meanwhile the adults just nod and think "How cute".
@Loverock Davidson
When have you ever recommended Linux to someone?
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@Loverock Davidson
Pot kettle black - and you've been doing it for years and years and never grown up
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Hey look, another fallacy from Dietrich.
ryanstrassburg 6th Oct 2010
@Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate
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RE: Adobe ships another mega-patch for PDF Reader
msalzberg Updated - 6th Oct 2010
@Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate

It's nice to be passionate about something.

But can I run Vectorworks, OmniGraffle, QLab or Filemaker under Linux? How about Yamaha's DME Designer software, or ProTools or Logic?

I don't think I'm all that different from most people: I run applications, not OSs. The apps I use run under either OS X, Windows, or both. Until such time as the apps I need run natively under Linux, I will not be running Linux.
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@msalzberg : I was going to add a couple more apps and some hardware, but decided you'd pretty well covered it off.

+1
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separate the uses
patibulo 7th Oct 2010
@msalzberg
I just want to point out, in case you don't know, that there are many excellent alternatives to audio editing in Linux. There are even some distributions that pack all of them. For my understanding they are a bit scattered, in the sense that there is not a single one that does everything, but each one does its specific job very well.

Audio applications are anyway not connected to the internet, so compromising your security for productivity is a valid point, and you'll probably not suffer from it. But I think the main point from Dietrich is that if you wanna use the internet, you need something better than Windows.

I personally use Linux for everything I can, and I have a Win machine for those special software packages like you point out. I really start shaking if I think of doing on-line banking with my Windows machine.
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Thank you.
Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate 7th Oct 2010
@patibulo

We have a winner.
Seriously, I think there are many readers who do 'get it' at this point.

I too run Windows XP but run it from a VirtualBox VM set to 'immutable'. While it's difficult to stop incursions, immutable always starts every XP session in its pristine 'clean' state, something users should consider as an option in addition to the newest EMET Microsoft offering.

EMET:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=c6f0a6ee-05ac-4eb6-acd0-362559fd2f04&pf=true

VirtualBox Immutable:
http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch05.html#hdimagewrites

Be safe.
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@patibulo

ProTools is far more than just an audio editor. Every recording studio I deal with uses it. Unless and until there's a program that has full session and plug-in ProTools compatibility, I have to run ProTools. Even then, I'd still have to stay with PT. With certain things you don't take chances.

Many composers I deal with use Logic. Same thing applies, as with the other programs I mentioned. A "similar" program is not enough.

As for using a second (or third) computer just for going on line, well, that's pretty impractical. How do I download my updates? Sneakernet is so 1990s.

Here's what I do: I keep my machines updated, and am careful with my browsing. I've run Windows since 3.0, and OS X since 10.3. I've never had a problem.

Again, I'm glad you're happy running Linux. I use my computer to run applications. The OS is secondary.
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@Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate Perhaps you should try to get a job? It seems you could find something better to occupy your time, rather than spamming these forums.

Rick
@Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate
Or, there's so few people using the POS that it's not profitable to design exploits for it. See Firefox as a reference point.
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@Dietrich T. Schmitz, : I'd glad you staked so much on ths issue; we won't be reading you much longer now.
This is a patch to ADOBE'S software, not MICROSOFT'S. There are sandbox products for Windows too, if 1) You can afford them and 2) Your software works with them. Linux on the DESKTOP is not an option for about 99% of corporate users, because they have ERP software and the like that wants to run on Windows. Just for fun, try googling "ubuntu linux vulnerabilities"... it ain't gonna come up empty folks! If a sandbox is "locked down" and there's a vulnerability in it, it's not so "locked down", is it?
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Read about how AppArmor works and be informed.
Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate 7th Oct 2010
@cerving
"If a sandbox is "locked down" and there's a vulnerability in it, it's not so "locked down", is it? "

Actually, AA locks down an App and the point is that zero-day vulnerability gets stopped.

Please read about AA and understand how it works.
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@Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate
Tried it. Love Windows 7
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Move to Ubuntu and leave behind Amazingness
MrElectrifyer 6th Oct 2010
@Dietrich T. Schmitz, Your Linux Advocate

Or you could just stick to Amazing Windows and install free Comodo Firewall (alongside free Microsoft Security Essentials) and get all the sandbox+ security stuff he said, on today's top OS.

Don't worry Dietrich, a noob will soon be fooled by your Linux love.
in the world. How do you have this many holes in a document viewer? Adobe and its every last asset should be burned to the ground and then salted over so that it many never come back.
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RE: Adobe ships another mega-patch for PDF Reader
betelgeuse68 Updated - 5th Oct 2010
@jackbond

Security holes will never go away. Ever. If Adobe has been remiss in one aspect, it's not recompiling the C/C++ code that makes up their products to leverage various mechanisms that have been in place for a while to mitigate arbitrary code execution attacks.

But even better, take matters into your own hand:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=c6f0a6ee-05ac-4eb6-acd0-362559fd2f04

EMET 2.0 which I just pointed out short circuited the zero day flaw that this Adobe patch closed up:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20016161-83.html?tag=topTechContentWrap;editorPicks

I run *ANY* app that talks on the Net in any way under EMET 2.0. Browsers, iTunes, WinAmp, instant messaging, etc., etc. All these apps have had arbitrary code execution holes in them that EMET can severely reduce the chances of being leveraged.

If you think think security flaws in software will one day completely disappear, I have a bridge to sell you...

-M
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Mitigate risk by making Ubuntu Linux your base operating system
Dietrich T. Schmitz, ~ Your Linux Advocate 6th Oct 2010
@betelgeuse68

Base operating system means your system will boot strap Ubuntu Linux each time your power on your unit.

Putting Windows into a VirtualBox (or KVM or VMware if you prefer) VM and then setting the VM to 'immutable' essentially makes the image reset to its original startup state each time it is run. Thus, any risk for attack that may take hold to your Windows session is simply gone at next startup.

That's what I do. My Windows XP runs in a VirtualBox immutable VM.

Food for thought.
  • Flagged
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15% - Time Spent Using Adobe Products
85% - Time Spent Updating & Patching Adobe Products

The cost of ubiquity.
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Why oh why do you peeps on Windows continue to use the over-bloated Adobe Acrobat Reader when Foxit's PDF Reader is a 4 or 5 meg download that just WORKS -- brilliantly I might add??
Go here and save your friends, colleagues and family a ton of grief!
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader/
You can even annotate PDFs and resave em -- all in a 5 meg app. I haven't a clue WTF Adobe's coders are smoking!! Are you kidding me...an 40 meg download to READ PDF files?? Pleezzze!

- Max "The IT Pro"
http://MaxTheITpro.com
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RE: Adobe ships another mega-patch for PDF Reader
Rahul Mulchandani 6th Oct 2010
@maxtheitpro

+1..

Adobe doesn't break links and displays some files better but still, for most users Foxit does the job..
@maxtheitpro Secunia reported serious problems verified with Foxit today, when I ran it to validate the Adobe update. So, it isnt just Adobe, of course. PDF is a rightfully popular format, so of course its readers get attacked.

As well, Foxit has no color management, and doesn't use the small character font hinting that makes PDFs look good, or like they are supposed to.

So, sorry, but no thanks. EMET however is a good idea.
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I prefer PDF Exchange
osreinstall 7th Oct 2010
@maxtheitpro

They have a free version that is better than Foxit. Has most of the functionality that Foxit dreams about.
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The off-topic/closed minds of myopic city jumped right our of the walls at ths one! Too bad there aren't more thinking people who feel they can take advantage of artcles like this but I suppose most see it as buzz and too silly to bother with. It must be a lonely existance for some of you lads.
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This patch is about Adobe Reader not about a particular OS.

In the end I don't care if black hat guys are being able to steal sensitive information from whatever OS. And Linux cannot prevent such things fully either, if Adobe Reader is faulty. A flaw in any application makes any OS more insecure. The main issue every user has to know about is how to deal with sensitive data on their computers, regardless the OS.

And well since here is talk about OS after few years running Linux Desktops I finally reverted to Windows 7.

Linux is admittedly more secure, but I was simply feed up with the issues I run into after each new version, including data loss, if not for backups I did. After all I have a job to do, and that isn't to administer an OS. And I learned how to secure my stuff on any OS. IMO educating users on that would help much more to stamp out malware than any my OS is better than yours talk.

E.g. how many people know that sending mail securely isn't guaranteed to be secure at all, as soon as the receiver reads the email from another mail server as the one it was sent to?
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By the way, just in case anybody out there is sticking with Adobe Reader 8 due to Adobe Reader 9's bloat, you should be aware that the same security advisory affects version 8.2.4.

Adobe also released a new version of 8.2.5 yesterday, at the same time as 9.4, to fix the same bugs.

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