Skip the navigation
)

Microsoft investigating reports of new IE hole

Security experts this week warned that an exploit is circulating on the Internet

By Joris Evers
November 4, 2004 12:00 PM ET

IDG News Service - Microsoft Corp. is investigating reports of a serious security flaw in Internet Explorer but has not yet seen malicious code that exploits the reported vulnerability.
Security experts earlier this week warned that code exploiting a newly discovered security hole in Internet Explorer is circulating on the Internet. The code exploits a buffer overflow vulnerability in Internet Explorer 6 and has been confirmed on PCs running Windows XP with Service Pack 1 and Windows 2000, according to Danish security company Secunia.
The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) issued an alert similar to the Secunia advisory. CERT warns that in addition to the Web browser, applications such as e-mail clients that rely on browser controls may also be vulnerable. Attackers could gain complete control of a victim's computer by exploiting the flaw, according to Secunia and CERT.
Microsoft is investigating the possible vulnerability, the company said in a statement. However, while Secunia and CERT raise alarm over code exploiting the vulnerability being publicly available, Microsoft said it has not seen that yet. "We have not been made aware of any active exploits of the reported vulnerabilities or customer impact at this time, but we are aggressively investigating the public reports," the company said.
The flaw lies in the way Internet Explorer handles the SRC and NAME attributes of the "frame" and "iframe" HTML elements, according to the CERT alert. A user could be attacked via a Web page containing malicious code or an HTML e-mail message.
There is no patch for this flaw, but computers running Windows XP Service Pack 2 appear to be protected, according to Secunia and CERT.
Upon completing its investigation, Microsoft said it will take the appropriate action to protect Windows users. This may include providing a fix through its monthly patch release process or an out-of-cycle security update, the company said.

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.
What is Tech Briefcase?
TechBriefcase is a new, free service where IT Professionals can Search, Store and Share IT white papers and content like this. Learn more
Bookmark content
Speed up your research efforts with content across the web.
Search and Store
Find the white papers you need. Create folders for any topic.
View Anywhere
Open your briefcase on your iPhone, tablet or desktop. Share with colleagues.
Don't have an account yet?
Additional Resources
Security KnowledgeVault
WHITE PAPER
Security is not an option. This KnowledgeVault Series offers professional advice how to be proactive in the fight against cybercrimes and multi-layered security threats; how to adopt a holistic approach to protecting and managing data; and how to hire a qualified security assessor. Make security your Number 1 priority.

Read now.

Cut Communications Costs Once and for All
WHITE PAPER
New IP-based communications systems are being deployed by small and midsized businesses at a rapid rate. Learn how these organizations are enabling faster responsiveness, creating better customer experiences, speeding office or mobile interactions, and dramatically reducing existing communications costs.

Read now.

Security White Papers
Driving Secure Enterprise File Sharing and Syncing in the Enterprise
GroupLogic's new activEcho is the industry's only secure Enterprise File Sharing and Synching solution that balances the need for simplicity for the end...
The Enterprise File Sharing Option
Enterprises and IT departments need to address several critical security issues when considering file sharing and syncing products. Many of today's solutions do...
Security Strategies to Virtualizing Internet-Facing Applications
The IT organization at Intel has set a goal to transition their enterprise to a private cloud for their Office and Enterprise applications....
Cloud Security Planning Guide
Cloud security considerations span protecting hardware and platform technologies in the data center to enabling regulatory compliance and defending cloud access through different...
Cloud Security Vendor Round Table
This vendor round table guide will help you to evaluate different cloud technology vendors and service providers based on a series of questions...
All Security White Papers
Security Webcasts
Live Webcast
Data Privacy and Protection in Production Environments: New Research from Ponemon Institute
Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 1:00 PM EDT / 10:00 AM PDT

In a recent study conducted by Ponemon Institute, fifty-five percent of respondents...
Data Privacy and Protection in Production Environments: New Research from Ponemon Institute
Date: Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 1:00 PM EDT / 10:00 AM PDT

In a recent study conducted by Ponemon Institute, fifty-five percent of respondents...
Security Certifications 101 - BlackBerry and all those acronyms what do they mean and why they matter?
FIPS, Common Criteria, CAPS, AISEP, NFC, NIST, Fraunhofer SIT, CESG, DSD - these are just some of the government and industry certifications which...
BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 Security Overview
The presentation provides an overview of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 security capabilities and features, including: BlackBerry® Balance™ technology, BlackBerry® Bridge, data-at-rest protection, and...
BlackBerry NFC Security Overview
The presentation on NFC security will provide an overview of the security protections built into the BlackBerry platform to protect users, application developers...
Playing Defense: Staying on Top of Your Disaster Recovery Game
When it comes to disaster recovery, rapidly growing data volumes, distributed computing models, and new technologies all combine to present an ever-changing playing...
All Security Webcasts
Newsletter Sign-Up

Receive the latest news test, reviews and trends on your favorite technology topics

Choose a newsletter
  1. View all newsletters | Privacy Policy
IT Jobs