DarkFiber Consulting encourages users and administrators to review Mozilla Foundation Security Advisory MFSA 2009-23 and update to Firefox 3.0.10 to help mitigate the risk.

DarkFiber Consulting encourages users and administrators to disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader to help mitigate the risk:

1. Open the General Preferences dialog box
2. From the Edit menu, select Preferences and then choose JavaScript
3. Un-check Enable Acrobat JavaScript

Additional information regarding these vulnerabilities can be found in the Adobe PSIRT blog entry and in the Vulnerability Notes Database. DarkFiber Consulting will provide additional information as it becomes available.

DarkFiber Consulting encourages users and administrators to do the following to help mitigate the risk:

• Review Adobe Security Bulletin APS08-19 and update to Adobe Reader 9.
• Use caution when opening untrusted files.
• Install antivirus software and keep the virus signatures up to date.

Phalanx2 appears to be a derivative of an older rootkit named “phalanx”. Phalanx2 and the support scripts within the rootkit, are configured to systematically steal SSH keys from the compromised system. These SSH keys are sent to the attackers, who then use them to try to compromise other sites and other systems of interest at the attacked site.

Detection of phalanx2 as used in this attack may be performed as follows:

• “ls” does not show a directory “/etc/khubd.p2/”, but it can be entered with “cd /etc/khubd.p2″.
• “/dev/shm/” may contain files from the attack.
• Any directory named “khubd.p2″ is hidden from “ls”, but may be entered by using “cd”.
• Changes in the configuration of the rootkit might change the attack indicators listed above. Other detection methods may include searching for hidden processes and checking the reference count in “/etc” against the number of directories shown by “ls”.

DarkFiber Consulting encourages administrators to perform the following actions to help mitigate the risks:

• Proactively identify and examine systems where SSH keys are used as part of automated processes. These keys will typically not have passphrases or passwords.
• Encourage users to use the keys with passphrase or passwords to reduce the risk if a key is compromised.
• Review access paths to internet facing systems and ensure that systems are fully patched.

If a compromise is confirmed, DarkFiber Consulting recommends the following actions:

• Disable key-based SSH authentication on the affected systems, where possible.
• Perform an audit of all SSH keys on the affected systems.
• Notify all key owners of the potential compromise of their keys.

DarkFiber Consulting will provide additional information as it becomes available.

• RealPlayer ActiveX controls property heap memory corruption.
• Local resource reference vulnerability in RealPlayer.
• RealPlayer SWF file heap-based buffer overflow.
• RealPlayer ActiveX import method buffer overflow.

DarkFiber Consulting encourages users to review the RealNetworks advisory and apply the appropriate updates to help mitigate the risk.

DarkFiber Consulting encourages users to review BlackBerry Security Advisory KB15766 and apply the resolution or implement the workarounds listed in the document to help mitigate the risk.

DarkFiber Consulting will provide additional information as it becomes available.