• Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-001 – Critical Vulnerability in the Embedded OpenType Font Engine Could Allow Remote Code Execution (972270) – This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user viewed content rendered in a specially crafted Embedded OpenType (EOT) font in client applications that can render EOT fonts, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office PowerPoint, or Microsoft Office Word. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take complete control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs, view, change, or delete data, or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

  This security update is rated Critical for Microsoft Windows 2000, and is rated Low for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Adobe has released security updates for Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat which patch critical vulnerability in Adobe Reader 9.2 and Adobe Acrobat 9.2 for Windows, Macintosh and Unix as well as Adobe Reader 8.1.7 and Acrobat 8.1.7 for Windows and Macintosh.

• These vulnerabilities could cause the application to crash and could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. Adobe recommends users of Adobe Reader 9.2 and Acrobat 9.2 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and UNIX update to Adobe Reader 9.3 and Acrobat 9.3. Adobe recommends users of Acrobat 8.1.7 and earlier versions for Windows and Macintosh update to Acrobat 8.2. For Adobe Reader users on Windows and Macintosh who cannot update to Adobe Reader 9.3, Adobe has provided the Adobe Reader 8.2 update. Updates apply to all platforms: Windows, Macintosh and UNIX.

Most users probably do not mind the regular automatic update checks but some might prefer to update the Adobe software products manually. This is important in business environments where patches are extensively tested before applied to client machines.

It is actually not a big problem to disable Adobe Updater if an Internet connection is available. All that needs to be done is to execute the Adobe_Updater.exe file that is located in the Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Updater6 directory on the hard drive. The application will perform an update check and notify the user about updates. The updates won’t be installed however until the user clicks on the Download And Install Updates button.

A click on Preferences will load the configuration screen shown in the above screenshot. Unchecking the “Automatically check for Adobe updates” box will do the trick. Mac OSX users can basically do the same. The location of the Adobe Updater program on their system is /Applications/Utilities/Adobe Utilities/Adobe Updater5/.