Latest Security Advisories & Notable Vulnerabilities

Microsoft addresses the following vulnerabilities in its batch of patches for Octover 2015:

• (MS15-106) Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (3096441)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Internet Explorer.



• (MS15-107) Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Edge (3089665)
  Risk Rating: Important
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Edge. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow information disclosure if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Microsoft Edge.



• (MS15-108) Security Update for JScript and VBScript to Address Remote Code Execution (3089659)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in the VBScript and JScript scripting engines in Microsoft Windows. The more severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if an attacker hosts a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit the vulnerabilities through Internet Explorer.



• (MS15-109)Security Update for Windows Shell to Address Remote Code Execution (3096443)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted toolbar object in Windows or an attacker convinces a user to view specially crafted content online.



• (MS15-110) Security Updates for Microsoft Office to Address Remote Code Execution (3096440)
  Risk Rating: Important
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Microsoft Office file.



• (MS15-111) Security Update for Windows Kernel to Address Elevation of Privilege (3096447)
  Risk Rating: Important
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The more severe of the vulnerabilities could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker logs on to an affected system and runs a specially crafted application.

This is one of the vulnerabilities used by the exploit kit, GiefRoot, which Retro Tetris, a malicious Android app downloads onto the device. The said malicious gaming app is published on Google Play that has the capability of rooting devices.

An attacker may cause an instance of any class with a non-private parameterless constructor to be created when the ObjectInputStream is used on untrusted inputs. In addition, an attacker may execute arbitrary code via a crafted finalize method for a serialized object in an ArrayMap Parcel within an intent sent to system_service.

A vulnerability exists in Windows Media Center that could allow remote code execution if Windows Media Center opens a specially crafted Media Center link (.mcl) file that references malicious code. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user.

Trend Micro researchers Aaron Luo, Kenney Lu, and Ziv Chang discovered this zero-day exploit, which also emerged from the Hacking Team leak.

Microsoft addresses the following vulnerabilities in its batch of patches for September 2015:

• (MS15-094) Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (3089548)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Internet Explorer.



• (MS15-095) Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Edge (3089665)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Edge. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Microsoft Edge.



• (MS15-096) Vulnerability in Active Directory Service Could Allow Denial of Service (3072595)
  Risk Rating: Important
  
  This security update resolves a vulnerability in Active Directory. The vulnerability could allow denial of service if an authenticated attacker creates multiple machine accounts.



• (MS15-097) Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Graphics Component Could Allow Remote Code Execution (3089656)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Lync. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted document or visits an untrusted webpage that contains embedded OpenType fonts.



• (MS15-098) Vulnerabilities in Windows Journal Could Allow Remote Code Execution (3089669)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The more severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Journal file.



• (MS15-099) Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Could Allow Remote Code Execution (3089664)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Microsoft Office file.



• (MS15-100) Vulnerability in Windows Media Center Could Allow Remote Code Execution (3087918)
  Risk Rating: Important
  
  This security update resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if Windows Media Center opens a specially crafted Media Center link (.mcl) file that references malicious code.



• (MS15-101) Vulnerabilities in .NET Framework Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (3089662)
  Risk Rating: Important
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft .NET Framework. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow elevation of privilege if a user runs a specially crafted .NET application.



• (MS15-102) Vulnerabilities in Windows Task Management Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (3089657)
  Risk Rating: Important
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerabilities could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker logs on to a system and runs a specially crafted application.



• (MS15-103) Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server Could Allow Information Disclosure (3089250)
  Risk Rating: Important
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow information disclosure if Outlook Web Access (OWA) fails to properly handle web requests, and sanitize user input and email content.



• (MS15-104) Vulnerabilities in Skype for Business Server and Lync Server Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (3089952)
  Risk Rating: Important
  
  This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Skype for Business Server and Microsoft Lync Server. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow elevation of privilege if a user clicks a specially crafted URL. An attacker would have to convince users to click a link in an instant messenger or email message that directs them to an affected website by way of a specially crafted URL.



• (MS15-105) Vulnerability in Windows Hyper-V Could Allow Security Feature Bypass (3091287)
  Risk Rating: Important
  
  This security update resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow security feature bypass if an attacker runs a specially crafted application that could cause Windows Hyper-V to incorrectly apply access control list (ACL) configuration settings. Customers who have not enabled the Hyper-V role are not affected.

Apple addresses a vulnerability that exists in the way the iOS sandbox_profiles component handles third party apps. When abused, a malicious app may be allowed to read managed preferences of other apps' installed in the vulnerable iOS device.

This vulnerability exists in several versions of the Windows browser Internet Explorer. The vulnerability lies in the way Internet Explorer accesses objects in memory. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability and allow remote code execution on the vulnerable machine. Attackers looking to take advantage of this vulnerability lures potential victims to click on malicious links in instant messages, email messages, and the like.

Affected versions of Internet Explorer are versions 7 to 11, installed in Windows operating systems from Windows Vista to Windows 10.

This vulnerability assigned with CVE-2015-3842, affects the AudioEffect component found in the mediaserver program. Attackers can run arbitrary code on the device when successfully exploited thus compromising its security. However, attackers need to convince users first to install a malicious app that doesn't require any permission.The said vulnerability affects Android versions 2.3 to 5.1.1.

Trend Micro researcher Wish Wu disclosed details about this vulnerability to Google. The said company acknowledged Wu’s research contribution.