Reducing Application Vulnerabilities

By Ross Annetts.

It is imperative for clients to regularly update any PHP/MYSQL applications such as Shopping Cart, Content Management Systems and Forum packages. This ensures you are running the latest version containing the newest security measures.

Popular software packages are constantly in development. With each major version of an application, the software development progresses in stages.

The alpha stage, when new features have just been implemented and it is actively being debugged.
The beta stage, when it is released for public use testing the features in real-world situations.
The stable release, when significant (identified) bugs have been removed.

Following this stable release, you may come across the terms "current" or "unstable". These terms are used to describe software that has been given new functionalities, although it has not yet been thoroughly tested. Please be aware, all possible bugs may not have been identified and future changes should be expected.

The Latest Stable vs Unstable Versions

Stable Version - Users are advised to use this version, as long as it meets their requirements. The software has endured testing for commercial use and is usually well documented.

Unstable Version - Should only be used if the newest functionalities are of interest and these exceed the risk of the software not performing appropriately.

Open Source Software

Open source software means that the code is publicly available and is susceptible to malicious targeting. Whilst the opportunity for risk is lower with proprietary software, there is still the chance that vulnerabilities can be found and manipulated. This could result in website downtime or a loss of valuable data, that is if regular backups are not performed.

As soon as these vulnerabilities are identified, the vendors create patches to close these security holes, which are then included in the next release of the updated software.

Additional Information

Below is a list of useful links for popular applications. If your application is not listed below, we highly recommend contacting your vendor or regularly checking their website for available updates. Care must be taken when patching or updating your software, if this is performed incorrectly, your site may experience downtime. If in doubt, ensure that you have read any related documentation, the vendors help/support/forum pages or you have contacted a web developer.

Joomla

The latest stable version patches:
http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/frs/

Help regarding Joomla:

X-Cart

Help regarding updating:
http://www.qualiteam.biz/support/upgrading_xcart.html

It is highly recommended to contact X-Cart directly to update the software. Simply log into their support site and click on the communication centre. https://secure.qualiteam.biz/customer.php?area=login&target=login