IE bug can crash browser

Microsoft said it is investigating

By Robert McMillan

July 1, 2005 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - Security researchers have discovered a bug in Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer browser that can cause the software to crash and that could possibly be used to let an attacker run unauthorized software on the user's machine.
The bug, which was first discovered by researchers at Austrian security consulting firm SEC Consult Unternehmensberatung GmbH and reported to Microsoft several weeks ago, concerns the way Internet Explorer handles certain software modules.
Microsoft has confirmed that the bug exists and is investigating the matter, said spokeswoman Kjersti Gunderson. The company is not aware of any attacks that have exploited this vulnerability, she added.
By loading HTML pages that make use of certain ActiveX components, researchers were able to overwrite registers on the computer's processor, said Martin Eisner, chief technical officer at SEC Consult. This technique could theoretically be used to fill parts of the computer's memory with malicious code, creating what is called a "heap-based buffer overflow," he said.
"It's possible to crash Internet Explorer," Eisner said. "Executing arbitrary code might be possible; we could not confirm that now."
Eisner expects Microsoft to patch the bug within a few weeks. "Right now it's not that dangerous," he said. "But of course within a couple of weeks there will be somebody who has a little bit more time than we have and there will be an exploit then."

Recommend Digg Twitter ShareThis

Email Print Send Feedback Reprints

Additional Resources

Xerox

Win a color printer!

By using solid ink technology only from Xerox, you could save up to 65% by printing color for the cost of black and white. Enter for a chance to WIN a PhaserTM 8860 network color printer!

Microsoft

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 today.

Save time and mitigate security risk. Deploy it now.

Sybase

NEXT-GENERATION MOBILITY PLATFORMS

In this white paper, IDC analyzes the role of next-generation mobile enterprise platforms as organizations seek a more strategic deployment of mobile solutions.

Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.

White Papers & Webcasts

Centralized Data Backup and Your WAN
Is your organization prepared to tackle the massive challenge of protecting your data in a cost effective and timely manner? With a growing...

Why Compliance Pays
This OnDemand webcast explores the relationship that firms with best compliance records have higher revenue, greater customer retention, lower financial losses from data...

An All-in-One Approach to Web Security
Granting web access to employees poses challenges to IT administrators and introduces unique security risks. Even as companies have perfected their security techniques...

Best Practices for Managing Business Risks from the Use of IT
(Source: Symantec) Based on exhaustive benchmarks conducted by the IT Policy Compliance, this session highlights the relationship between business risks and use of...

The Hidden Dangers of Spam
Beyond the well-understood productivity drain that spam inflicts on businesses, threats posed by illicit email circulating through a network are causing many security...

Managing And Protecting Your Ever Increasing Mobile Assets
(Source: Absolute Software) Your users are becoming more mobile each day. This is great for productivity - yet challenging for IT control. Natalie...

Open Source Security Myths Dispelled
(Source: Astaro) Open Source Software is computer software whose source code is available to the general public. This openly viewable nature...

Sun OpenSSO Enterprise Webinar
(Source: Sun) This webinar replay discusses Sun OpenSSO Enterprise innovation--the single, open-source solution that helps your business solve the challenges around internal access...

Best Practices for Backing Up VMware® with Veritas NetBackup™
VMware® is used by enterprises large and small to increase the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their IT operations. With this in mind, Symantec...

Agile Enterprise Content Management (ECM) for Rapid ROI
(Source: IBM) Content rich business processes are a core feature of daily operations at just about any organization today. Very often these essential...

All White Papers | All Webcasts