Google patches serious desktop flaw
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(InfoWorld) - Security researchers have discovered a serious flaw in Google's desktop software that could be used to wreak havoc on a victim's computer. The bug, which was made public Wednesday by Watchfire, has now been fixed. While Google is automatically delivering a patch, Google Desktop users who want to be sure they are running the latest version of the software can download it here. Users should be running version 5.0.701.30540 or later, said Google Spokesman Barry Schnitt. Google was first notified of the problem on Jan. 4 and produced its fix on Feb. 1, a Watchfire spokesman said Wednesday. In addition to its bug fix, Google has added, "another layer of security checks to the latest version of Google Desktop to protect users from similar vulnerabilities in the future," Schnitt said. "We have received no reports that this vulnerability was exploited," he added. Watchfire's research underscores the danger of integrating Web-based applications with the desktop, the company said in a white paper published Wednesday. The flaw lies in a search parameter used by Google Desktop's Advanced Search feature, which could be used to execute malicious JavaScript code, according to Watchfire. For this attack to work, the criminal would have to first go through a number of steps, including hacking Google.com to find a cross site scripting vulnerability on the Web site -- something that has been done several times in the past year, according to Watchfire. If successful, however, the attack would be devastating. A criminal could search for anything on the computer or even take over the victim's computer by tricking Google desktop into running malicious software stored on another computer, Watchfire claims.
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Windows security holes patched; tool to rid PCs of malicious software now available.
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Plus: Google apps for your site, and HP's pretexting debacle.
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SAN FRANCISCO A university computer scientist and two of his students have discovered a potentially serious security flaw in the desktop search tool for personal computers that was recently distributed by Google.
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TechWeb - The problematic fix, issued last December, affected the Firefox browser and the SeaMonkey application suite.
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Security researchers say that Google Desktop is vulnerable to a new type of attack -- the second such disclosure this week.
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A bug in the Google Toolbar could allow criminals to steal data or install malicious software on a system, a security researcher warns.
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A potential security flaw has been found in Google&#39;s Desktop Search by a Rice University professor and two of his students. A hacker could use the glitch to search the content of someone&#39;s computer via the internet.
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Blog: The most serious involves poisoned PDF files. The update also includes patches for Bind, Fetchmail, and GNU Screen.
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Blog: Here's a follow up to a blog of a few days ago outlining workaround until Google issues a patch.
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(Article Central) A glitch was discovered in Google Desktop that could allow an attacker to access the contents of a PC from the Internet, according to a report in The New York Times.
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Google fixed a flaw in its Google Desktop Search(GDS)that could have given hackers access to users&#39; local searches, officials said Monday.
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Google has patched a potentially dangerous vulnerability in its Google Desktop software that security experts say could have put the sensitive information of millions of users at risk.
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New vulnerabilities include a critical flaw in Internet Explorer and a "major" bug in Firefox.
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Revamped Google Desktop improves security, adds preview and 'sidebar.'
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The giant has released a patch so that Windows doesn&#39;t let in hackers when it handles JPEG graphics formats. The flaw means that attackers can create an image file that will automatically run dodgy code, dump
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Google Inc. (GOOG.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday it has fixed a software flaw that could allow hackers to view information contained on personal computers running the No.