Media File Mayhem
If you use RealNetworks' RealPlayer, beware of a risk involving malformed Internet Video Recording (IVR) files. According to security company Fortinet, simply previewing a poisoned IVR file in Windows Explorer could allow an attacker to run any command on a vulnerable PC. Versions 11 through 11.04 are at risk, while 11.05 and later are not affected. Check your version by clicking Help, About RealPlayer, and, if you need it, .
Finally, OpenOffice users should know that a default installation of the productivity suite's latest version (3.0.1) adds an old, insecure version of Sun's Java (Java 6 Update 7). According to the Washington Post, which originally reported the issue, the suite should work fine with the latest edition, Java 6 Update 12; remove your old Java versions and . You can also read . The OpenOffice team should have a new version (with an updated Java version) by the time you read this, and you can also get a .