Flaw In Internet Explorer Not Fixed Yet

Security Hole May Make Browser Users Vulnerable To Having Their Computers Hijacked

(AP)  Users of all current versions of Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer browser might be vulnerable to having their computers hijacked because of a serious security hole in the software that had yet to be fixed Monday.

The flaw lets criminals commandeer victims' machines merely by tricking them into visiting Web sites tainted with malicious programming code. As many as 10,000 sites have been compromised since last week to exploit the browser flaw, according to antivirus software maker Trend Micro Inc.

The sites are mostly Chinese and have been serving up programs that steal passwords for computer games, which can be sold for money on the black market. However, the hole is such that it could be "adopted by more financially motivated criminals for more serious mayhem - that's a big fear right now," Paul Ferguson, a Trend Micro security researcher, said Monday.

"Zero-day" vulnerabilities like this are security holes that haven't been repaired by the software makers. They're a gold mine for criminals because users have few ways to fight off attacks.

The latest vulnerability is noteworthy because Internet Explorer is the default browser for most of the world's computers. Also, while Microsoft says it has detected attacks only against version 7 of Internet Explorer, which is the most widely used edition, the company warned that other versions are also potentially vulnerable.

Microsoft said it is investigating the flaw and is considering fixing it through an emergency software patch outside of its normal monthly updates, but declined further comment. The company is telling users to employ a series of complicated workarounds to minimize the threat.

Many security experts, meanwhile, are urging Internet Explorer users to use another browser until a patch is released.

[jsd330]

Thats what happens when your tech support and programming go to India.

[sandy19731]

Google Chrome has been working well for me. I downloaded it the day it came out.
Google home page and gmail are also very, very good, I love the document and picture storage.

[drinuk]

SAFARI By a Mile, works well with LINUX ! Up Yours MS.

[rafterman1]

Firefox........best browser out there. It''''s free and simple to install.
Posted by jjp735i

...and just as vunerable to security flaws.

http://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/firefox30.html

[rf35]

Microsoft goes out of its way to design c*r*a*p. Vista belongs in fish tanks, not computers.
Posted by BRdeckard at 04:17 AM : Dec 16, 2008

What do you have against fish?

[smackim1son]

im with you rf35. stop whining about the flaws and get extra security. if people weren''t so stupid to click on every fast act scheme that pops up, like "congrats you''ve just won a free xbox" then maybe they would be a lil safer. i go to alot of sites that claim can hack your computer but i never got hacked. cause of the security system i have installed. if you don''t like microsoft software then don''t use it. plain and simple.

[jjp735i]

Firefox........best browser out there. It''s free and simple to install.

[evian_ycnan]

Visit Gibson Research (grc.com) for handy tools and test kits for cruising the info-highway safely.

Regards,

[rf35]

Seems like IE is always in need of some kind of security patch. Maybe it''s the sites I visit (or rather, DON''T visit) or maybe I just have all the right additional security, but I have never had a breech using IE. Safari crashed my system the first time I tried to launch it. It snuck onto my desktop after an iTunes update so I figured I''d try it. It now goes straight to the bin whenever it shows up. I''ve tried various alternative browsers since the time of Netscape Navigator, but I always end up going back to Explorer. It just works better on my rig.

[oneworldusa]

Is it possible this flaw is the result of outsourced operations?

[cg37102006]

Has there been a moment in time when Internet Explorer did not have a security flaw? I cant think of one at the moment...

[kingxp-2009]

Use Opera9.62
It outperforms all browsers out there.
Faster than firefox, Chrome.
very user freindly just like Safari.
IE is a ***.Only lazy peolpe use it and get sucked into all crappy problems.

[toolmangler-2009]

suppose I''m lucky I use a linksys hardware firewall.
Posted by justSpiffy at 08:51 PM : Dec 15, 2008




Me too!!! it has saved me much anguish

[silverstar06]

Dang! Is there like one single thing that was
created by western advanced thinkers that isn''t destroyed or somehow highjacked and compromised?? Geez, they could go ruin their own culture for a change! Or at least invent something useful to everyone for once, instead of corrupting it, full of arrogant pride.

[legacyabq]

A firewall wont help you with this flaw.. If you go to a compromised site, than obviously the firewall is letting the site through on an HTTP port, otherwise you couldnt see or use the site..
A firewall blocks other ports from being opened, particularly on your end.

[cdfoxtrot6]

Firefox is the way to go. Only Microsoft continues to put out total cr*ap into the marketplace, and gets away with it because people are too lazy to find alternatives.

[impeach___w]

This exploit has been wild since before the last patch MS08-073 almost a week ago! MicrodoS $uckS

[justspiffy]

I use a linksys hardware firewall. Most just think linksys is just to have more computers online but it''s it''s hardware firewall is something totally different.

[justspiffy]

suppose I''m lucky I use a linksys hardware firewall.

[pkelly79]

Would be nice if I could use Google Chrome on my Mac!!!