awMinimalPatch.msi (417 Kb)

What You Need to Do
If you have installed a Simply Accounting 2007 or 2008 product, you should download and install our Security Update (SecurityUpdate.msi – 417 Kb).

Install the update on all computers on which you performed a full or workstation installation of Simply Accounting.

Notes:

• The Security Update is also included in the January 2008 product update for Simply Accounting 2007 and Simply Accounting 2008.
• The Security Update is only available in English.
• No changes are made to your Simply Accounting program or data files!

Background

Help search in Simply Accounting is provided by Vantage Linguistics' AnswerWorksTM Desktop runtime engine. Vantage recently updated their AnswerWorks product to eliminate a possible security risk. Their update is strictly preventative - there are no reported cases of a security breach. However, if breached, the vulnerability could allow a hacker access to your computer.

Vantage has partnered with Microsoft to include a security update in Microsoft’s December 2007 Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer. The Microsoft update also eliminates the security vulnerability.

For more information about Vantage Linguistics' security release, go to http://www.vantagelinguistics.com/answerworks/release/.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Simply Accounting by Sage products are affected?
The vulnerability involves a single file that is used to perform help searches in the following Simply Accounting by Sage products:

• Simply Accounting by Sage 2007 (all editions, including Simply Accounting Entrepreneur)
• The US version of Simply Accounting by Sage 2007
• Simply Accounting by Sage 2008 (all editions, including Simply Accounting Entrepreneur)

Which version of AnswerWorks does Simply Accounting use?
Simply Accounting 2007 and 2008 use AnswerWorks version 5.0.0.1. After you install the security update, either from this page or as part of your January 1, 2008 product update, the AnswerWorks file version will be updated to 5.0.0.7 or 5.0.0.8.

Do I need to install this patch if I uninstalled Simply Accounting 2007 or 2008?
As a precaution, we recommend that you download and install the patch.

Which operating systems are supported?
The update is available for all operating systems supported for Simply Accounting 2007 and 2008; namely, Windows XP, 2000, and Vista, running Internet Explorer 5.5 or later.

I have a trial version of Simply Accounting 2008 (or 2007) installed on my computer. Do I need to apply the update?
Yes, you should download and install the security update.

How do I know if the Security Update has been applied?
If the update has been applied, the version of the AnswerWorks 5.0 control file will be 5.0.0.7 or 5.0.0.8. To verify the version number:

1. In Windows Explorer, navigate to C:\Program Files\Common Files\AnswerWorks 5.0.
2. Right-click the awApi5.dll file, and then select Properties.
3. Select the Version tab.
4. Verify that the File version is either 5.0.0.7 or 5.0.0.8.

For more information, see knowledgebase article 21938.

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