If you use Geocortex Viewer for HTML5, update your apps!

From Drew Millen, Geocortex Product Manager at Latitude Geographics Group:

Yesterday we were made aware of a potential security issue affecting all versions of Geocortex Viewer for HTML5, thanks to a vigilant customer contacting our Support team.  While we don’t know of any specific attacks that may have exploited this vulnerability amongst our customers, we take potential security issues very seriously. We’re happy to report that we were able to respond quickly, and a patch will be available for download in the Geocortex Support Center in the coming hours. The patch involves replacing a single JavaScript file and does not require a re-install or that you update Geocortex Essentials.   We recommend customers with applications that use Geocortex Viewer for HTML5 (all versions) apply the patch. Note that the upcoming release of Geocortex Viewer for HTML5 2.4 will not expose this vulnerability. Here’s what you need to know:

• This issue potentially allows a malicious attacker to craft a viewer URL that loads configuration and code from a domain under their control.
• This issue is a result of the way viewer configurations have historically been loaded. In the past, attempts to load configurations from other domains were prevented by the browser; however, newer browsers have evolved to support a technology called Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS), which now allows cross-domain requests to be made.
• An attacker can craft a link to a viewer on a trusted domain, such as http: //trusted/viewer/index.html, that loads their malicious configuration file from a machine that they control. If the attacker’s server is configured correctly, they can serve malicious code to users who have been fooled into clicking the link.
• An example of a malicious link could be: http: //trusted/viewer/index.html?configBase=http://go.geocortex.com/e/61102/2015-03-26/3qh36/47536401resources/config/default/
• All browsers supporting CORS — including ones in iOS and Android — are susceptible.

Here’s what we recommend you do:

• Download the applicable patches we are making available in the Geocortex Support Center. Click the “Geocortex Viewer for HTML5” link and look for Security Update 2015-03-26.zip.
• Read instructions.txt for notes regarding potential changes to viewer launch links in certain advanced scenarios.
• Follow instructions.txt for instructions on applying the patch.

We apologize for any inconvenience this issue may cause you. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions or if we can help.

According to Jay Famiglietti, the senior water scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech and a professor of Earth system science at UC Irvine, California has about one year of water supply left in its reservoirs.  Are you ready to ration?  What is your government agency you work for going to do?  Imagine what this will do to California’s economy … and the way we will live here, or leave for greener pastures.  Check out the LA Times Op-Ed piece.

See also USGS California Drought.

After Google’s announcement that they were ending support of Google Maps Engine and their implied retirement of Google Earth Enterprise, as well as Google Earth Pro which is now free, ESRI has teamed up with Google to offer GME and GEE customers no-cost ESRI replacement software for a year (after that they pay maintenance).  Also included is no-cost training and attending the annual User Conference at no cost.