[greenbean]

Hi, I'm getting a message from my Kaspersky Internet Security window that says: "Potentially unwanted software has been detected on your computer. You are advised to neutralize it as soon as possible. Type: Vulnerablity; Winword.exe; Excel.exe;..." (and more software listed)
There are options to "Disinfect All" and "Neutralize all". Will clicking on these cause Microsoft Word, Excel etc. to stop working?
I cannot get into the Kaspersky technical support site - apparently only U.S. residents can get in. (I'm from South Africa.)
I have tried installing the updates to these applications that Kaspersky suggested but that hasn't made any improvement to my MS Word and Excel etc.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Cookiegal]

So if I understand correctly you got your MS Office updates? After doing that, are you still getting these alerts? Because it sounds to me like it's just alerting you to the fact that they are more vulnerable to exploits as they are not updated.

[greenbean]

Yes, I downloaded and installed the updates but it apparently changed nothing to the status of my applications. I'm still getting the alerts every time I do a virus scan. Maybe my applications just remain vulnerable no matter how well I update them. What will happen if I click on "Neutralize" or "Disinfect"? I'm scared to try because what if my applications stop working if I do this?

[Cookiegal]

Can you post the Kaspersky log please?

[greenbean]

Here is the log (I uploaded 3 pictures).

[Cookiegal]

That one is an older log but I assume you're still getting these same detections?

They are indeed updates that need to be applied. It's possible your updates are failing.

For instance, look in the Control Panel - Add or Remove programs and let me know if you have this update listed there (it would be KB956357):

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Then do a Google search and enter the advisory number you see in the Kaspersky scan next to the following (for instance):

viruslist.com 34471

This is the Firefox update.

You can also run Secunia and it will check programs and make a report as well:

http://forums.techguy.org/malware-re...e-checker.html

Let me know how you get on with this please.

[greenbean]

Thanks for your help. No, i see numerous security updates listed but none with the number KB956357. I clicked on the link you provided and it took me to its website, and I see it's for Microsoft Office Word 2003. Should I install this update anyway? (I'm using Microsoft Office Word 2007 (and excel etc.)
Microsoft Office Word 2007's patch is KB956358. It is on the following website:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...f-7e92fa619c37

I went to the website and downloaded the patch (again): (I downloaded and installed it a while ago but it doesn't show on the list in Add or Remove Programs) (Maybe it's a new patch, I don't know)

I will install it (I'll have to disconnect from the internet, eject the modem, close all programs, etc.etc.) so I'll report back later.

[greenbean]

Hi Cookiegal, this afternoon I downloaded and installed the following patches (as listed in the log):
KB958437 (Excel2007)
KB958439 (Office2007)
KB955069 (WindowsXP)
KB956358 (Word2007)
Adobe Reader 9.1
(I omitted those of Adobe Flash Player 10.0.22.87, Firefox 3.0.8 and Thunderbird 2.0.0.21 as these had already been updated before (independently), to the patches that were suggested).
As for the Java, I have no idea which patch to download, so I didn't download any Java updates.

In Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs, the only updates that show up in the list are the two Adobe updates, Mozilla Firefox 3.0.8, Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0.0.21, and KB955069 (WindowsXP) but this last one has a date next to it that says 14 Nov 2008, in other words it didn't install this time but only last year (my guess is with an automatic update).

Then I did a full system scan with Kaspersky, and I'm including the log. (At least the log is considerably shorter than before - but I want it to be non-existent!)

I don't understand why installing these updates/patches won't work! Am I installing the wrong updates? I am definitely using Microsoft Office 2007 and Windows XP Home SP3.

[Cookiegal]

Sorry about the confusion. For some reason I thought you had Office 2003.

I don't see where you downloaded this one for Excel?

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Did you run the Secunia utility?

[greenbean]

I don't remember where I downloaded the one for Excel - I can't seem to find it again! I right-clicked on the entries one by one and that took me straight to the relevant pages of patches, which I clicked on to take me to the download page for each.

I've just started scanning with Secunia - I hope it doesn't take too long (Kaspersky takes over an hour). On Secunia's website, I checked "Enable thorough system inspection" as well as "Display only insecure programs".

[greenbean]

Surprise - the scan took 9 minutes. Here is the website - I don't know if you can view it from your end, otherwise I'll send you a jpg.

http://secunia.com/vulnerability_sca...ine/?task=load

[Cookiegal]

That just takes me to the scanner page so please do uploate an image instead.

[greenbean]

Here is the image. I noticed that it only mentions Adobe Flash Player, and nothing about anything else.

[Cookiegal]

Why don't you go ahead and uninstall Adobe and get the latest version to take care of that vulnerability.

Once you've done that, reboot the machine and rerun Kaspersky and post the new log of vulnerabilities. I assume you downloaded that Excel patch now?

[greenbean]

Yes, I downloaded and installed all the patches that were recommended in the latest log (uploaded on 21 April), including the new Excel patch (this Excel patch was different from the one I saw before - maybe there were more than one patch needed and shown only one at a time with each Kaspersky scan?).
The updates don't show on the "Add or Remove Programs", though, which is strange. (Some do show but have the date 14 Nov.08 next to them.)
I haven't done another scan with Kaspersky yet, but I will uninstall Adobe Flash Player as you suggested, install the latest version, reboot, run Kaspersky, and get back to you once I've done that. Thanks.