Symantec backtracks on Flash hack warning

**Glaswegian** · 05-30-2008, 01:23 PM

After warning earlier this week that hackers were exploiting an unpatched bug in Adobe's Flash Player software, Symantec has backtracked, saying the flaw is "very similar" to another vulnerability patched last month.

Symantec's initial warning described a disturbing threat - a previously unknown and unpatched flaw that was being exploited on tens of thousands of web pages. The flaw allowed attackers to install unauthorised software on a victim's machine and was being used to install botnet programs and password-logging software, Symantec said.

Now Symantec believes that the bug was previously known and patched by Adobe on 8 April, said Ben Greenbaum, a senior research manager with Symantec Security Response. However, the Linux version of Adobe's standalone Flash Player, version 9.0.124, is vulnerable to the attack.

On Tuesday Symantec researchers said that the attack worked on Linux and that it caused Flash Player to crash on Windows XP, so they reasoned that they had a new bug that was just not working properly on the Windows platform, possibly due to a programming error by the hackers. "We thought it was a problem with the exploit," he said.

http://www.techworld.com/security/ne...&NewsID=101625

05-30-2008, 01:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
Glaswegian Moderator/ Rangemaster TSF Academy; Analyst, Security Team; Oor Wullie; TSF Surgeon and Resident Comic Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Glasgow Posts: 21,329 OS: Win XP Pro SP3 My System Blog Entries: 10	Symantec backtracks on Flash hack warning After warning earlier this week that hackers were exploiting an unpatched bug in Adobe's Flash Player software, Symantec has backtracked, saying the flaw is "very similar" to another vulnerability patched last month. Symantec's initial warning described a disturbing threat - a previously unknown and unpatched flaw that was being exploited on tens of thousands of web pages. The flaw allowed attackers to install unauthorised software on a victim's machine and was being used to install botnet programs and password-logging software, Symantec said. Now Symantec believes that the bug was previously known and patched by Adobe on 8 April, said Ben Greenbaum, a senior research manager with Symantec Security Response. However, the Linux version of Adobe's standalone Flash Player, version 9.0.124, is vulnerable to the attack. On Tuesday Symantec researchers said that the attack worked on Linux and that it caused Flash Player to crash on Windows XP, so they reasoned that they had a new bug that was just not working properly on the Windows platform, possibly due to a programming error by the hackers. "We thought it was a problem with the exploit," he said. http://www.techworld.com/security/ne...&NewsID=101625 __________________ Iain - Defender of the Haggis and all things Scottish. I don't help by PM - post in the Forums. Ad-Aware::SpywareBlaster::SpyBot::SpywareGuard::SnoopFree::AVG Free::HOSTS File::HijackThis::Donate::5 Steps For Infected PCs