VPN-1 NGX products automatically defend enterprises against new memory corruption vulnerability

Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CHKP), the worldwide leader in securing the Internet, today announced that users of its VPN-1 NGX products through Check Point SmartDefense subscription service are protected against a new zero hour unpatched memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Excel.

The vulnerability and reports of targeted exploits were announced in Microsoft Security Advisory 947563 on January 15 and affect users of Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Service Pack 2, Microsoft Office Excel Viewer 2003, Microsoft Office Excel 2002, Microsoft Office Excel 2000 and Microsoft Excel 2004 for Mac.  When exploited via a malformed Excel file, the vulnerability allows a remote attacker to execute malicious code on a targeted system.

Check Point protects enterprise customers against this vulnerability via Check Point's SmartDefense services. The protection performs deep inspection of malformed Excel files, thus covering all attack vectors attempting to exploit this vulnerability.  Unlike solutions that rely on signatures for specific exploits, Check Point SmartDefense provides broad protection.  The development of this protection was facilitated by SmartDefense's long standing investment in building an infrastructure for detecting and blocking malformed files.

"Providing rapid deployment of protection against new threats is a key component of Check Point's overall customer defense strategy," said Laura Yecies vice president of marketing at Check Point.  "By utilizing multiple methods of detection and analysis to identify malicious and exploitative characteristics in network traffic, Check Point uniquely protects enterprises against rapidly emerging threats in instances where other signature-only based methods fall short."

Check Point's SmartDefense services maintain the most current preemptive security for the Check Point security infrastructure. To help defenses stay continuously ahead of today's constantly evolving threat landscape, SmartDefense services provide ongoing and real-time updates and configuration advisories for defenses and security policies.