Hacking is increasingly becoming a peril in the world in which we live. And no matter how hard manufacturers seem to try to protect consumers, these individuals still always find a way in.
And on machines running Windows, Linux or OS X, one of the most effective ways to do so has been to take advantages of weaknesses in third party software. Following a hack in Flash by a Chinese cyber-espionage group APT3, Adobe is now rolling out an update to all versions of its software to seal the particular vulnerability exploited.
Security specialist FireEye reports that the hack has taken place over a number of weeks, targeting high profile clients in specific industries, including “Aerospace and Defense, Construction and Engineering, High Tech, Telecommunications (and) Transportation”
Systems running Internet Explorer on Windows 7 and Firefox on Windows XP are at particular risk. Adobe has acknowledged the issue in an official response, stating,
“Adobe has released security updates for Adobe Flash Player for Windows, Macintosh and Linux. These updates address a critical vulnerability (CVE-2015-3113) that could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. Adobe is aware of reports that CVE-2015-3113 is being actively exploited in the wild via limited, targeted attacks. Systems running Internet Explorer for Windows 7 and below, as well as Firefox on Windows XP, are known targets.”
It is recommended that anyone and everyone running Flash should update their software at their earliest convenience, in order to help mitigate any further threat.
With the falling popularity of Adobe Flash, and the likes of Java also falling out of favor, situations like this will likely only help to tarnish further an already somewhat beleaguered reputation. As of the moment, there is no telling what the full impact of this attack will be.
Do you think the likes of Adobe are treating security seriously? Let us know in the comments below.
