Posted on 12/17/2008 10:38:22 AM PST by Red Badger
Microsoft Corp. is taking the unusual step of issuing an emergency fix for a security hole in its Internet Explorer software that has exposed millions of users to having their computers taken over by hackers.
The "zero-day" vulnerability, which came to light last week, allows criminals to take over victims' machines simply by steering them to infected Web sites; users don't have to download anything for their computers to get infected, which makes the flaw in Internet Explorer's programming code so dangerous. Internet Explorer is the world's most widely used Web browser.
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SCADA Security Course Hands on SCADA security course learn to assess and secure InfoSecInstitute.com/SCADA_sec Microsoft said it plans to ship a security update, rated "critical," for the browser on Wednesday. People with the Windows Update feature activated on their computers will get the patch automatically.
Thousands of Web sites already have been compromised by criminals looking to exploit the flaw. The bad guys have loaded malicious code onto those sites that automatically infect visitors' machines if they're using Internet Explorer and haven't employed a complicated series of workarounds that Microsoft has suggested.
Microsoft said it has seen attacks targeting the flaw only in Internet Explorer 7, the most widely used version, but has cautioned that all other current editions of the browser are vulnerable.
Microsoft rarely issues security fixes for its software outside of its regular monthly updates. The company last did it in October, and a year and half before that.
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On the Net:
Microsoft's security advisory:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/961051.mspx
And piss the Swiss off by associating there fine product with that??
Because makers of swiss cheese would take them to court for defamation...
You can’t convince me that some MS developer didn’t intentionally design this “flaw” in as a backdoor.
Or else Microsoft is hiring the criminally stupid...
I never use it. Fire Fox.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
The latter.
mark
The best protection you can have, assuming you’ve taken the ordinary precaution of having antivirus software, is to make occasional backups of
System State, using the Windows Backup utility. Fast, easy, free, and foolproof.
It’s a manual version of the XP System Restore. System Restore sometimes works, but it has become the prime target of malware, and just when you need it, it is disabled.
Firefox is also vulnerable to the latest crop of malware. Don’t kid yourself.
Restoring System State from a backup replaces all executable files and the Registry. It takes your programs back to the date when you made the backup without touching documents.
Me Two!..........
The best protection you can have, assuming you’ve taken the ordinary precaution of having antivirus software, is to make occasional backups of
System State, using the Windows Backup utility. Fast, easy, free, and foolproof.
It’s a manual version of the XP System Restore. System Restore sometimes works, but it has become the prime target of malware, and just when you need it, it is disabled.
Firefox is also vulnerable to the latest crop of malware. Don’t kid yourself.
Restoring System State from a backup replaces all executable files and the Registry. It takes your programs back to the date when you made the backup without touching documents.
/////////////////////////////
GOOD INFO THANKS
Better to turn off and then turn back on the System Restore, after you are clean, IMO.
bttt
I don’t use IE7 — still use IE6. I wonder if the patch is applicable or needed for IE6? Anyone know?
ping
IE has gotten a bad name, because it really DOES have all those holes!.............
Emergency fixes have been out for years.
Firefox, Safari
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