Microsoft patch leaves ZoneAlarm in the dark

Check Point Software Technologies, maker of ZoneAlarm, on Wednesday said it is working with Microsoft to resolve an issue with one of the patches within the software maker's July 2008 Patch Tuesday release.

At issue is the Microsoft Update KB951748 (MS08-037) from Microsoft, which addresses the flaw in the Domain Name System (DNS) that was made public on Tuesday by security researcher Dan Kaminsky.

For ZoneAlarm customers who have automatic update selected for Windows Updates, and whose ZoneAlarm Internet security level is set to "high", they will experience a loss of Internet connectivity upon reboot.

ZoneAlarm users without automatic update may wish to wait to install the update until the matter is resolved.

For those who have already installed the patch, Check Point recommends users remove Microsoft Update KB951748 from their systems. Detailed instructions for doing this can be found here. Another option is to lower the ZoneAlarm Internet security setting to "medium", although Check Point doesn't recommend that.