Computer security is and will continue to be a major challenge all over the world. As researchers are coming up with new ways of dealing with threats to computer systems, malicious persons are also finding more vulnerabilities in our systems and discovering more ways of manipulating these vulnerabilities to their advantage. While many of these vulnerabilities rarely make world news, some have baffled the computer industry. Once a flaw is discovered, it is only right that a fix is quickly found. Here is a list of some of the major computer security issues fixed in 2012.
Adobe Systems in one of the largest software companies in the world. The company main focus is multimedia and rich internet applications. Despite boasting of a number of game changing applications, 2012 has not been a good year for Adobe, at least in terms of security. The company has a long history of security issues and this year was not any different. Adobe Systems develops of some of the most widely used software which includes Adobe Reader, Flash and Acrobat. In 2012 security flaws that could cause computers to crash and allow attackers to illegally gain access to your computer and control it were discovered. The vulnerabilities mostly affected Adobe Flash but older versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat would also be vulnerable. The vulnerabilities affected users on all platforms including Mac OS X and most surprisingly, Android. Though no additional information was disclosed, Adobe was able to successfully fix the security flaws and recommended that all users running the said software should either install appropriate patches or update their programs.
As recently as late 2012, vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer were found to be exploitable by attackers. Though not the most widely used browser by then, Internet Explorer is bundled with all Windows installations and still commands a fair share of users. The internet explorer vulnerability was labelled as critical and affected millions of users all cross the world. Such was the severity of the flaw that the German government advised users to opt for aftermarket browsers until the flaws were fixed. The flaws allowed attackers to deliver a Trojan called Poison Ivy. Poison ivy is a backdoor which grants an attacker unrestricted access to the infected system. The flaws were however fixed in a few days with what Microsoft termed as a one click solution to correct the flaw and urged users to run updated copies of antivirus software to clear any infection by the Trojan.
Java which is one of the most widely used software around the globe also came under attack in 2012. A zero day vulnerability was reported in August of 2012. Surprisingly, the vulnerability was discovered in newer version of Java 1.7 and does not affect both Java 1.6 and earlier releases of java 1.7. The wide use of java not only in computers but also in other gadgets made this flaw potentially dangerous and even though attacks perpetrated via this vulnerability were isolated, the potential for a larger attack was imminent. The security flaw also affects Mac OS X users but Apple quickly released a fix that disables Java on computer that have not used if for over 35 consecutive days. A security fix was quickly developed and incorporated into all new versions of Java.
Social networks are increasingly becoming a target for attackers. In 2012, attacker discovered two major vulnerabilities on Facebook. The first was a Cross Site Request Forgery that allowed an attacker to use Facebook to record video of a targeted user from his webcam and post it on to the user’s timeline. The second involved a simpler hack whereby an attacker could enter a URL that automatically redirects them to a password recovery page of the target account and allows him to change the password without entering the current password. Once the security researchers made a video of how the vulnerability could be exploited, Facebook quickly moved to fix the issues.
Author Bio: This article comes from Michael who works as a computer security issues expert at 247 Support Experts. Over last year he has resolved more than 300 cases related to computer security and viruses. 247 Support Experts is a leading group of computer repair experts available 24/7 for resolving all your computer related issues.
