Lync Remote Code Execution Vulnerability – 9 July 2013

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Microsoft has published a Critical security bulletin (MS13-054) detailing a “Vulnerability in GDI+ [That] Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2848295)”.

“This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Lync, and Microsoft Visual Studio. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user views shared content that embeds TrueType font files”.

The bulletin is HERE.

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Lync Server 2013 CU2 – July 2013

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The US has started their Independence Day celebrations a couple of days early with the release of CU2 for Lync Server 2013.

New Functionality

THIS post on the Lync Team Blog that explains the new features that snuck into this update:

  • Embedded Images – Add images in-line with text during one-to-one conversations.
  • Meetings View – View the day’s meetings from Meetings View in the Lync client main window.
  • IM Mute – Presenters may disable use of the conversation window during a scheduled meeting.
  • Q&A Manager – Presenters can review and respond to meeting questions in a structured way.

Server Update

I’m a little excited by this one – mostly because the update KB article includes a DETAILED list of installation steps, where previously there has been some ambiguity (particularly around the database updates).

The update takes the server to “5.0.8308.420”:

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System Center Advisor – pt3

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In my previous two posts I introduced System Center Advisor, created an online account and installed the on-site Gateway application (HERE), and then installed the monitoring Agent and configured it to monitor Lync (HERE). In this final post I show you the payoff – the details of my deployment in the System Center Advisor “Dashboard”, and check the health of the installation.
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System Center Advisor

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System Center Advisor is an online service from Microsoft. Think of it like an automated service with agents that run a daily “BPA” (Best Practice Analyser) across your installation and report back any deviations from best practice. For bonus points, it also maintains a configuration history, so you can see if and when settings are changed. Oh, and it’s now completely free!

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New Sydney Telephone Prefix – “02 79…”

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ACMA has today mailed the industry to point out that last year they issued numbers in the “02 79xx xxxx” range to several carriers, and that lucky customers with the new prefixes are complaining they can’t be called. Clearly there are plenty of PABXs (and perhaps the odd Lync or OCS installation) that don’t cater for this previously unused “B-digit” in their normalisation, routing, barring, etc.

Here’s the blurb:

CPE NEEDS REPROGRAMMING NOW

In July 2012, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) created the following prefix to supplement existing geographic numbers which were running out.

State New Prefix
NSW (02) 79

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Lync Remote Code Execution Vulnerability – May 2013

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Microsoft has published an Important security bulletin (MS13-041) detailing a “Vulnerability in Lync [That] Could Allow Remote Code Execution (2834695)”.

The bulletin is HERE.

Products impacted

I’ve also placed the download links on the respective Lync Resource Toolkit pages (at the very top  of the right-hand menus).
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Lync 2013 – May 2013 Client Update

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An update has been released for the Lync 2013 Client. The KB (kb2768004) reports it takes the Client to 15.0.4481.1004, but if you ask the app, it’s only 15.0.4481.1000.

Rather cheekily, this release doesn’t (apparently) include any specific fixes, just rolls in the recent updates and adds a generous sprinkling of “stability and performance improvements”.

Download

Download it from here:

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Lync Attendant – “Your Location Is Not Set”

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I’ve lamented before that we suffer from time to time in our efforts to localise American-designed products for the Rest Of the World. When things do misbehave, a common diagnostic step – and frequent cure – is to reset language settings back to their “native” US English.

Our latest gotcha has come from Lync’s Location Information Service (LIS). LIS was introduced in Lync Server 2010 for E.911 compliance in the US, enabling the caller’s location to be automatically passed to the emergency service responders.

Here in Oz (and presumably other markets) it’s not legislated nor catered for by our carriers, so we use it as a convenience feature. The address we use is incomplete, often only naming the branch, or perhaps something as casual as “L31 Brisbane”. And here’s where the Lync Attendant trips us up.

YourLocationIsNotSet
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Lync Phone Edition Update – April 2013

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It seems the addition of MOH to the OCPE / Lync Phone Edition over the Christmas break wasn’t entirely bug-free…

kb2829272 “Music on hold” feature doesn’t work for Lync Phone Edition for an Aries telephone when an audio file is configured

This update takes Phone Edition to 4.0.7577.4387:

G.