The Biggest Vulnerabilities that Hackers are Feasting on Right Now

Software vulnerabilities are an unfortunate part of working with technology. A developer puts out a software release with millions of lines of code. Then, hackers look for loopholes that allow them to breach a system through that code.

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The developer issues a patch to fix the vulnerability. But it’s not long before a new feature update causes more. It’s like a game of “whack-a-mole” to keep your systems secure.

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Keeping up with new vulnerabilities is one of the top priorities of IT management firms. It’s important to know which software and operating systems are being attacked. 

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Without ongoing patch and update management, company networks are vulnerable. And these attacks are completely avoidable. 82% of U.S. cyberattacks in Q1 of 2022 were due to exploiting patchable vulnerabilities. It is a global problem.

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What new vulnerabilities are lurking in products from Microsoft, Google, Adobe, and others? We’ll go through several. These were recently noted in a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warning.

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Make Sure to Patch Any of These Vulnerabilities in Your Systems

As the top provider of cyber security in Orlando, TradeWeb is always on the lookout for new vulnerabilities. These are some that have been announced recently.

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Microsoft Vulnerabilities

Microsoft vulnerabilities include those in three of its products. Internet Explorer (IE) is one of them. Microsoft discontinued IE in June of 2022. You should remove this from any computers that still have it installed.

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You’ll see the acronym “CVE” used in the vulnerability names. It is an industry-standard naming structure. It stands for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures.

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Here is a rundown of these vulnerabilities and what a hacker can do:

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CVE-2012-4969: This Internet Explorer vulnerability allows the remote execution of code. It is a “critical” vulnerability because of the damage it enables. Hackers can release this via a website. Thus, formerly safe sites can become phishing sites when hackers exploit this loophole.

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• CVE-2013-1331: This is a flaw in the code for Microsoft Office 2003 and Office 2011 for Mac. It enables hackers to launch remote attacks. It exploits a vulnerability in Microsoft’s buffer overflow function. It allows hackers to execute dangerous code remotely.
• CVE-2012-0151: This issue impacts the Authenticode Signature Verification function of Windows. It allows user-assisted attackers to execute remote code on a system. “User-assisted” means they need the user to assist in the attack. Such as by opening a malicious file attachment in a phishing email.  

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Google Vulnerabilities

Google Chrome and applications built using Google’s Chromium V8 Engine are also on the list. These applications are targets of the following vulnerabilities.

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• CVE-2016-1646 & CVE-2016-518: These allow attackers to conduct denial of service attacks. They do this against websites through remote control. It means they can flood a site with so much traffic that it crashes.
• Those aren’t the only code flaws that allow hackers to crash sites this way. Two others, CVE-2018-17463 and CVE-2017-5070, both do the same thing. And like all these others, patches have already been issued that users can install to fix these holes.

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Adobe Vulnerabilities

People use Adobe Acrobat Reader widely to share documents. It makes it easy to transfer them across different platforms and operating systems. But it’s also a tool on this list of popular vulnerabilities.  

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• CVE-2009-4324: This is a flaw in Acrobat Reader that allows hackers to execute remote code via a PDF file. You can’t trust that a PDF attachment will be safer than other file types. Remember this when receiving unfamiliar emails.
• CVE-2010-1297: This memory corruption vulnerability. It allows remote execution and denial of service attacks through Adobe Flash Player. Like IE, the developer retired Flash Player. It no longer receives support or security updates. It would be best if you uninstalled this from all PCs and websites.

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Netgear Vulnerability

Netgear is a popular brand of a wireless router. The company also sells other internet-connected devices. These are also vulnerable due to the following flaws.  

• CVE-2017-6862: This flaw allows a hacker to execute code remotely. It also enables bypassing any needed password authentication. It's present in many different Netgear products.

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Cisco Vulnerability

• CVE-2019-15271: This is a vulnerability in the buffer overflow process of Cisco RV series routers. It gives a hacker “root” privileges. It means they can do anything with your device and execute any code they like.

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Patch & Update Regularly

These are a few of the security vulnerabilities listed on the CISA list. You can see all 36 that were added here.

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How do you keep your network safe from these and other vulnerabilities? You should patch and update regularly. Work with a trusted IT professional to manage your device and software updates. It ensures you don’t have a breach waiting to happen to lurk in your network.

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Automate Your Cybersecurity Today

Patch and update management is just one way that we can automate your cybersecurity. Contact the leading provider of cyber security in Orlando, TradeWeb today to schedule a consultation.

‍The article was used with permission from The Technology Press.