We're almost at the end of a network and email server migration. We're moving the client from a Novell Netware system with Groupwise email to a Windows domain with Exchange 2010 email. While it's been quite a complex migration it has run smoothly for the most part and we're just tying up some loose ends.

Once of those loose ends is the network patch panel where the telephone and network cabling connects to various equipment in the server room. This one is going to be a massive job to tidy up, we've inherited a disasterous looking network patch panel from the client's previous IT provider. Have a look at the state of this:

We'll post some new photos once the tidy up is complete - unfortunately for the client, its going to take a considerable amount of downtime on a weekend and cost to rectify this poorly management patch panel.

Your server room should look neat and tidy to the naked eye - if your network cabling looks something like the photo above then its time to start asking your current IT provider some questions!

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You Mac not doing what it should be or need your new Mac notebook or iPhone integrated with your Microsoft Exchange email server? We can help!

IT Support Perth has been providing Mac support for quite sometime. Our technicians are fully versed in all things Mac and can get you up and running in no time.

Quick Troubleshooting tips for your Mac
If you are experiencing a problem with your Mac, here's a couple of quick things you can try before calling...

Reboot your Mac
Yes, contrary to popular belief, Apple PCs sometimes need a reboot too. To do this, click the Apple menu icon in the top left hand corner and select reboot. The reboot process will take approximately 5 minutes

Run software update on your Mac
Again, just like Windows PCs, Mac OS needs patches sometimes too. Quite often quirky behaviour in specific programs can be fixed by running software update, particularly when it comes to Microsoft Entourage or other Office Mac product.

To run Software Update, click the Apple menu icon in the top left hand corner and choose Software Update. This will run Software Update which will check for updates for your installed software. If it finds missing updates it will give you the option to download and install. Note that some patches may take 10 - 15 minutes or more to install. If you're short on time, click Show Details, it will give you a list of the specific patches and you can select patches for the application which is playing up.

To avoid problems in the future, you should setup your Mac to run software update automatically on a weekly basis. To do this open System Preferences from the Apple menu, click Software Update about two thirds of the way down the page and set the Scheduled Check to run Weekly.

Call Now for Apple Mac Support
If you do need help with your Mac or integrating your Mac, iPhone or other Apple hardware with your Windows Server environment call us on 08-6102-5700 and one of the consultants from our Apple Support Team will be able to assist.

Severity: High
16 December, 2009

Summary:

• This vulnerability affects: Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.2 and earlier, on Windows, Mac, and Unix computers
• How an attacker exploits it: By enticing your users into viewing a maliciously crafted PDF document using javascript
• Impact: An attacker can potentially gain control of your system
• What to do: Implement the workarounds described in the Solution Path section of this alert

Exposure:

Adobe has confirmed a critical zero day vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.2 and earlier versions that could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. There are reports that this vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild. This was first referenced by Adobe in a blog posting <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/L2pdJIDvGLLqkAj8d5.html> on Monday and they have since issued a security bulletin. Adobe plans to make available an update to Adobe Reader and Acrobat by January 12, 2010 to resolve the issue. Users running Microsoft DEP ("Data Execution Prevention") functionality available in more recent versions of Microsoft Windows are at reduced risk:

• All versions of Adobe Reader 9 running on Windows Vista SP1 or Windows 7
• Acrobat 9.2 running on Windows Vista SP1 or Windows 7
• Acrobat and Adobe Reader 9.2 running on Windows XP SP3
• Acrobat and Adobe Reader 8.1.7 running on Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP1, or Windows 7

With the DEP mitigation in place, the impact of this exploit has been reduced to a Denial of Service during Adobe's testing.
Since attackers are actively exploiting this vulnerability in the wild and Adobe hasn't had time to patch it yet, this flaw poses a serious risk to Adobe Reader users. Until a patch is available, we recommend you implement the workarounds described below to mitigate the risk of this attack.

Solution Path:
Adobe has not had time to release a patch for this zero day vulnerability. However, the workarounds described below should mitigate the risk of attacks currently circulating in the wild.

• Inform your users of this vulnerability. Advise them to remain wary of unsolicited PDF documents arriving via email. If they don't absolutely need the document, and don't trust the entity it came from, they should avoid opening it until you patch Adobe Reader.
• Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader. According to Adobe, users can mitigate the issue by disabling JavaScript in Adobe Reader. To disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader, click Edit => Preferences => JavaScript and then uncheck Enable Acrobat JavaScript. Keep in mind, this prevents JavaScript from running in legitimate PDF documents as well.
• Use a gateway device, like your Firebox, to block PDF files. If your users can't download PDF files, these exploits won't affect them. Unfortunately, doing this blocks legitimate PDF files as well. Nonetheless, depending on your business needs, you may still want to block PDF files until a patch is available.

For All WatchGuard Users:

Many of WatchGuard's Firebox models can block incoming PDF files. However, most administrators prefer to allow these file types for business purposes. Nonetheless, if PDF files are not absolutely necessary to your business, you may consider blocking them using the Firebox's HTTP and SMTP proxy until a patch is made available. If you decide you want to block PDF documents, follow the links below for video instructions on using your Firebox proxy's content blocking features to block .pdf files by their file extension:

Firebox X Edge running 10.x

• How do I block files with the FTP proxy? <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/fgd5NHv1jff3AbKx59.asp>
• How do I block files with the HTTP proxy? <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/0Z59wU1sK00Fb47G92.asp>
• How do I block files with the POP3 proxy? <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/zT92DmsY7zzk4rej2g.asp>
• How do I block files with the SMTP proxy <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/nC2gvBYVennArWMKgZ.asp>
• Firebox X Core and X Peak running Fireware 10.x
• How do I block files with the FTP proxy? <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/lPgZ1tVqMllbW8p7ZT.asp>
• How do I block files with the HTTP proxy? <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/aOZTsLq3paa48xdeTC.asp>
• How do I block files with the POP3 proxy? <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/oRTCYf3FdoorxG5MCP.asp>
• How do I block files with the SMTP proxy? <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/uXCPV0Fk5uuWGj9pPO.asp>

Status:
Adobe plans to make available an update to Adobe Reader and Acrobat by January 12, 2010 to resolve the issue.

References:

• Adobe Security Bulletin <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/hQPOqzkA9hh8jK2dOR.html>
• Security Focus <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/iIOR3nAb2iixK7g5RX.htm>

Update:
On 16 December, 2009, we alerted LiveSecurity subscribers about a zero day vulnerability in Adobe Reader which attackers could exploit to execute code on your machine, potentially gaining complete control of it. When we first reported this issue, reports warned that attackers were already exploiting this flaw in the wild. We promised to update our alert when Adobe released a patch for this issue. Today they did. Adobe's security bulletin http://www.tailorednews.com/r/RGrWa2hi3OOSwDFVW8.html announces the release of Reader 9.3, which fixes this zero day vulnerability, as well as at least seven other security vulnerabilities. They also announced updates for Acrobat, which suffers from these vulnerabilities as well. As usual, Adobe's bulletin does not describe the flaws in much technical detail. However, they do describe their impact. In general, if an attacker can entice one of your users into downloading and opening a maliciously crafted PDF document (.pdf), he can exploit these vulnerabilities to execute code on that user's computer, with that user's privileges. If your user has local administrative privileges, the attacker gains full control of the user's machine. If you use Adobe Reader or Acrobat on any platform, we recommend you download and install Adobe's updates as soon as you can. See below for details.

Solution Path:
Adobe has released Reader 9.3 and Acrobat, 8.2 to fix these vulnerabilities. You should download, test, and deploy the appropriate updates throughout your network as soon as you can:

Adobe Reader 9.3

• For Windows <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/XjW8ogiyFRRJDvkq8x.jsp>
• For Mac <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/IeGjiC6cbIIDsY4kjK.jsp>
• For UNIX <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/HMjKyPcS4HHvYVrAK7.jsp>

Adobe Acrobat

• Pro and Pro Extended for Windows <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/UpK7EOSJrUU1VqWb7e.jsp>
• 3D for Windows <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/md7e6RJNWmmsq384eM.jsp>
• Pro for Mac <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/B5eMcXNw8BBY3FxrMp.jsp>

Note: If you use Adobe Updater, it may automatically install the corresponding updates for you.

For All WatchGuard Users:
If you previously customized your Firebox's proxy policies to temporarily block PDF documents (.pdf), you may want to remove those customizations after applying Adobe's patch. This will allow your users to download legitimate PDF documents again. For additional details about the vulnerability, and as a convenient reference, we reproduce our original 16 December alert below.

You can also find it in the LiveSecurityLatest Broadcasts <http://www.tailorednews.com/r/t9MpSQwDxttVFkGWpd.asp> archive.