Latest Security Advisories & Notable Vulnerabilities

Microsoft addresses the following vulnerabilities in its May batch of patches:

• (MS14-021) Security Update for Internet Explorer (2965111)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  

  This security update resolves a publicly disclosed vulnerability in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using an affected version of Internet Explorer.



• (MS14-029) Security Update for Internet Explorer (2962482)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  

  This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. The vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Internet Explorer.



• (MS14-022) Vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint Server Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2952166)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  

  This security update resolves multiple privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office server and productivity software. The most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if an authenticated attacker sends specially crafted page content to a target SharePoint server.



• (MS14-023) Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2961037)
  Risk Rating: Important
  

  This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office. The most severe vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opens an Office file that is located in the same network directory as a specially crafted library file.



• (MS14-025) Vulnerability in Group Policy Preferences Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (2962486)
  Risk Rating: Important
  

  This security update resolves a publicly disclosed vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if Active Directory Group Policy preferences are used to distribute passwords across the domain - a practice that could allow an attacker to retrieve and decrypt the password stored with Group Policy preferences.

• (MS14-026) Vulnerability in .NET Framework Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (2958732)
  Risk Rating: Important
  

  This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft .NET Framework. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an unauthenticated attacker sends specially crafted data to an affected workstation or server that uses .NET Remoting.



• (MS14-027) Vulnerability in Windows Shell Handler Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (2962488)
  Risk Rating: Important
  

  This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker runs a specially crafted application that uses ShellExecute.



• (MS14-028) Vulnerability in iSCSI Could Allow Denial of Service (2962485)
  Risk Rating: Important
  

  This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerabilities could allow denial of service if an attacker sends large amounts of specially crafted iSCSI packets over the target network.



• (MS14-024) Vulnerability in a Microsoft Common Control Could Allow Security Feature Bypass (2961033)
  Risk Rating: Important
  

  This security update resolves one privately reported vulnerability in an implementation of the MSCOMCTL common controls library. The vulnerability could allow security feature bypass if a user views a specially crafted webpage in a web browser capable of instantiating COM components, such as Internet Explorer.

This Microsoft security advisory reports a vulnerability in Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 8, Internet Explorer 9, Internet Explorer 10, and Internet Explorer 11.

The vulnerability is a remote code execution vulnerability. The vulnerability exists in the way that Internet Explorer accesses an object in memory that has been deleted or has not been properly allocated. The vulnerability may corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user within Internet Explorer. An attacker could host a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit this vulnerability through Internet Explorer and then convince a user to view the website.

Microsoft addresses the following vulnerabilities in its April batch of patches:

• (MS14-017) Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word and Office Web Apps Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2949660)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  

  This security update resolves one publicly disclosed vulnerability and two privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office. The most severe of these vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a specially crafted file is opened or previewed in an affected version of Microsoft Office software.



• (MS14-018) Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (2950467)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  

  This security update resolves six privately reported vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. These vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Internet Explorer.



• (MS14-019) Vulnerability in Windows File Handling Component Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2922229)
  Risk Rating: Important
  

  This security update resolves a publicly disclosed vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user runs specially crafted .bat and .cmd files from a trusted or semi-trusted network location.



• (MS14-020) Vulnerability in Microsoft Publisher Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2950145)
  Risk Rating: Important
  

  This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Office. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted file in an affected version of Microsoft Publisher.

Microsoft addresses the following vulnerabilities in its March batch of patches:

• (MS14-012) Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (2925418)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  

  This security update resolves one publicly disclosed vulnerability and seventeen privately reported vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. These vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Internet Explorer.



• (MS14-013) Vulnerability in Microsoft DirectShow Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2929961)
  Risk Rating: Critical
  

  This security update resolves a vulnerability that could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted image file. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user.

• (MS14-015) Vulnerabilities in Windows Kernel-Mode Driver Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (2930275)
  Risk Rating: Important
  

  This update addresses two vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The more severe of these vulnerabilities could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker logs on to the system and runs a specially crafted application.



• (MS14-016) Vulnerability in Security Account Manager Remote (SAMR) Protocol Could Allow Security Feature Bypass (2934418)
  Risk Rating: Important
  

  This security update resolves a vulnerability that could allow security feature bypass if an attacker makes multiple attempts to match passwords to a username.



• (MS14-014) Vulnerability in Silverlight Could Allow Security Feature Bypass (2932677)
  Risk Rating: Important
  

  This security update resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Silverlight. The vulnerability could allow security feature bypass if an attacker hosts a website that contains specially crafted Silverlight content that is designed to exploit the vulnerability, and then convinces a user to view the website. Both Windows and Mac users are affected by this vulnerability.

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way Internet Explorer 9 and 10 handles an object that has been deleted in memory. When successfully exploited, it may allow a remote attacker to execute code of choice on the vulnerable computer. Note that this vulnerability affects Internet Explorer 9 installed on the following operating systems:

• Windows Vista Service Pack 2
• Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2
• Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
• Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
• Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
• Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
• Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1

It also affects Internet Explorer 10 installed on the following operating systems:

• Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
• Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 1
• Windows 7 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
• Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
• Windows 8 for 32-bit Systems
• Windows 8 for x64-based Systems
• Windows Server 2012
• Windows RT