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Microsoft warns against IE vulnerability, lists nine possible workarounds

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Software

Published: Tuesday 16th December, 2008 | Author: Parm Mann
Products: Internet Explorer 7
Companies: Microsoft (All Microsoft content)

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A vulnerability in Internet Explorer could allow remote code execution, said Microsoft in a security advisory published last week.

The yet-to-be-patched security flaw allows web sites to run malicious code that could activate small applications designed to steal a user's passwords and confidential data. Last week, the security advisory (#961051) appeared amid a usual long list of similar security flaws. With very few users batting an eyebrow, few questions were asked as - to Microsoft's credit - many have to come to expect these regular flaws to be swiftly resolved.

However, Microsoft's original advisory stated that the attacks were only occurring on version 7 of its Internet Explorer browser. The following day, it revised the advisory to warn that various versions of Internet Explorer on multiple Windows operating systems are at risk.

A week later and the flaw appears to have gathered widespread interest from the hacking community. Trend Micro, an anti-virus specialist, now suggests that some 10,000 websites have been manipulated into exploiting the flaw - putting Internet Explorer's millions of users at risk.

In response, Microsoft has made available a set of user workarounds that it believes will help protect against the flaw until an official solution is made available. The Microsoft-tested workarounds are listed below and further details on each suggestion are available as part of a Microsoft TechNet blog post:

As a result of the rapidly-growing impact of the flaw, Microsoft has stated that it may issue an out-of-cycle security update to help protect its customers. Security experts, meanwhile, are urging users of the world's most popular browser to seek out an alternative until the flaw is resolved.

Source: Microsoft TechNet


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HEXUS.community :: your right2reply

Re: News - Microsoft warns against IE vulnerability, lists nine possible workarounds
As if anyone still needs a reason to avoid IE like the plague...Quote
Re: News - Microsoft warns against IE vulnerability, lists nine possible workarounds
yes, because luckily every oher browser + platform has NEVER suffered a security bug.

The beeb was quite dramatic in quoting someone who said they should stop using IE, but noting that hackers will focus on what ever the dominant browser is.

No, what makes sense is to run your browser as a VERY restricted user.Quote
Re: News - Microsoft warns against IE vulnerability, lists nine possible workarounds
Bear in mind that it's also any other application that uses IEs engine that will be affected. So please, stop turning off UAC and run your day to day stuff as a restricted user. You may find that it makes you feel like a noob for a short while but at the end of the day it makes perfect sense.Quote
Re: News - Microsoft warns against IE vulnerability, lists nine possible workarounds
I'm using Chrome and I like it!Quote
Re: News - Microsoft warns against IE vulnerability, lists nine possible workarounds
Firefox (http://firefox.com) + Noscript (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722) = no worries for practically anything.Quote

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