Systems running Flash version 9.0.115.0 and earlier, and those running version 8.0.39.0 and earlier, are vulnerable, according to a US-CERT alert. Attackers can exploit the flaws by tricking unsuspecting users into visiting a website hosting a specially crafted SWF (Shockwave Flash) file.
If successful, the resulting payload could range from security bypass to cross-site scripting to a complete system takeover, according to vulnerability tracking firm Secunia, which rated the updates highly critical.
As an alternative to upgrading to the latest version, users can disable the Flash plug-in or leverage NoScript, a Firefox add-on.
More information from Adobe is available here.
For more coverage of the RSA Conference, visit our special RSA Conference 2008 microsite. It contains news and announcements from the show floor, as well as podcasts, video and opinion columns from keynote speakers and industry luminaries, like RSA Conference's Sandra Tom La Pedis and Tim Mather, Symantec's John Thompson and Kevin Haley, IBM's Val Rahmani, and SC Magazine's CSO of the Year Dan Lohrmann, CISO of the state of Michigan.