Critical Update from 2008: Why Now?

[MIG]

I am using an HP laptop that I bought in 2007 with XP installed.

In the last couple of weeks I've been getting a message from "Softare
Manager" telling me that I need to install "Critical Update December
2008 - New".

I don't recall seeing updates alerted to me in this way before, and I
can't understand why I am suddenly being alerted to an update that
seems to be two years old. Therefore I am suspicious and not
downloading anything.

Does anyone know what this might be about?

Thanks.

[marty39]

You don't say where the message appears. If it's in your email it's
somebody trying to hijack your computer and you're right, you should
not download anything. If it's a popup in the middle of your screen,
there are two possibilities (really only one): someone else is already
controlling your computer. It could be either a completely
unauthorized invasion, in which case you need expert help to remove
the malware, or it could be one of your authorized applications trying
to be helpful without asking whether you really want help, such as
the Software Manager that sometimes comes with Installshield.

To remove or disable Software Manager without going to untrusted
sites, search for "installshield" in Google or another search engine.
The primary result site is one on flexerasoftware.com; go to that one.
From there choose Support and then Consumers with Installation Issues.
There are two ways to do that; both get you to
consumer.installshield.com. Under The Update Service, choose FAQs, and
from there you can browse for information. Beware that some of the
links take you to unexpected information, so try them all, including
the links in fine print at the top of the page.

If it's the Installshield update service, the basic idea is that the
customers of Installshield are software vendors, and Installshield
helps them "maximize their value" by getting more money from their
customers, like you. Unfortunately, some of Installshield's customers
don't use the update service correctly, and the result is annoyance to
the users. Flexera, the company that now owns Installshield, is aware
of this, and they want to keep their customers' customers (like you)
happy.

[MIG]

Thanks for the reply. Well, if there are any emails to that effect,
they'd have been deleted without hesitation. No, I am talking about a
popup.

I have seen Installshield updates many times, ie when a shield shaped
thing appears on the taskbar and updates install next time I shut
down, but I don't recall seeing Update Manager before.

The application seems to be at "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users
\Application Data\Macrovision\FLEXnet Connect\6\isuspm.exe", from the
new shortcut that has appeared in my start menu.

I don't particularly want to uninstall something that's trying to be
helpful, which is why I wondered if there was a particular update that
anyone knew about. Maybe a previous update installed Software
Manager?

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[marty39]

Very interesting. When I Googled the terms in your original post I
found that Macrovision was involved in just such popup messages. But
just now I Googled the words macrovision flexnet connection, and I
learned that there was a vulnerability there due to possible buffer
overflow, and Macrovision provided a fix for it late in 2008. That
doesn't mean that your popup is really that fix, because I can't
explain why it's coming up now almost two years late. I admit I don't
know what to advise.

[MIG]

Thanks; well I wonder if one recent update installed a software
manager feature which searched for things that hadn't been searched
for before, and then found something still outstanding?

The fix doesn't exactly sound critical anyway, if that's what it is.

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