“The first widespread attack to leverage a recently patched flaw in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser has surfaced,” Robert McMillan reports for Computerworld. “Starting late on Wednesday, researchers at antivirus vendor Symantec’s Security Response group began spotting dozens of websites that contain the Internet Explorer attack, which works reliably on the IE 6 browser, running on Windows XP.”
MacDailyNews Take: In other words, millions upon millions of exactly the type of users who think a patch is something they sew onto their kids’ play pants.
McMillan continues, “The attack installs a Trojan horse program that is able to bypass some security products and then give hackers access to the system, said Joshua Talbot, a security intelligence manager with Symantec.”
“As of midday Thursday, Symantec had spotted hundreds of websites that hosted the attack code, typically on free web-hosting services or domains that the attackers had registered themselves,” McMillan reports. “The IE flaw being leveraged in these attacks was also used to hack into Google’s corporate network last December. It has been linked to similar incidents at 33 other companies, including Adobe Systems. Microsoft patched the vulnerability in an emergency security update Thursday morning.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “James W.” for the heads up.]
The Microsoft Tax: Windows 7 zero-day flaw enables attackers to cripple PCs; Macintosh unaffected – November 16, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Windows 7 flaw allows attackers to remotely crash PCs; Macintosh unaffected – November 12, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Windows virus delivers child porn to PCs, users go to jail; Mac users unaffected – November 09, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Worms infest Windows PCs worldwide; Mac users unaffected – November 02, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Banking Trojan horse steals money from Windows sufferers; Mac users unaffected – September 30, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Serious Windows security flaw lets hackers to take over PCs; Macintosh unaffected – July 07, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Windows Conficker worm hits hospital devices; Macintosh unaffected – April 29, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Conficker virus begins to attack Windows PCs; Macintosh unaffected – April 27, 2009
The Microsoft Tax: Conficker’s estimated economic cost: $9.1 billion – April 24, 2009
Even with this costly and real world Microsoft TAX that continues to draw money as if your in a free fall, these things are still happening. Blindly going along with the expert that recommends Microsoft product and never discloses the real Microsoft TAX hit.
“Toronto school board switches from Macs to PCs”
http://www.macnn.com/articles/10/01/21/trustee.teachers.complain/
I think it’s M$ attacking those computers to force them to upgrade to W7
Why do people use Internet Exploder? I have been surfing the web for years without any virus protection on a mac.
ER,…. is the MS IE hack that they just patched…. or the new hack that they are going to patch shortly???????
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Just curious.
en
“…works reliably on the IE 6 browser.”
Something works reliably on IE6? These so called criminals should be given an award.
@EN
I believe it is both.
@macrick,
“Why do people use Internet Exploder? I have been surfing the web for years without any virus protection on a mac.”
Because some companies actually build their sites as if MSFT sets the standard. investors.com for example. They have premium tools that are really great, but require IE to run. There are examples of other sites and if you depend on one of them and prefer the Mac, you probably are forced to either have two boxes or run Parallels. It sucks but that is the way it is. (For now.)
“Something works reliably on IE6? ..”
Yes, the Trojans and the virus.. and worms.
@MDN- Seriously? A Microsoft security flaw is “news”?!?
@rws- you’re talking about the 90’s right? Any “company” still building to exclusive IE “standards” is either only doing “business” with itself internally or has fallen so far behind the proverbial technology eight-ball that I’d question their relevance, competitive viability, and their CIO.
The Microsoft Tax = The bloated cost of Windows itself + The cost of Anti-Virus Software + The cost of removing Bloatware from a New system + the cost of time needed to run anti-malware.spyware removal software + update subscription fees for the Anti-virus, Anti-spyware, Anti-Malware + All the last CPU cycles needed to run the software + the loss of Available Ram due to the need to run such software + the loss of Hard drive space need to store the installed software + the added bloat to the Windows Registry added by such software + all the software such as IE, Windows Messenger, Windows Media Player, Outlook Express, Net Meeting that you can’t uninstall of even remove due to the fact that Windows will not let you just delete the files it just put’s then back if you due manage to delete them + the costs of system cycles & resources needed to restore this unwanted bloatware.
@Demon
After reading that you might as well add “just bend over and ask Mr. Gate/Ballmer for more please”.
what’s happening Microsoft?
@Cleetus,
“..you’re talking about the 90’s right?”
I’m talking about IBD’s, investors.com. I gave you that information in my original post. Their Premium tools are fantastic. Yes you can get most (but not all of that information) from other sites but not all in one place. It saves time and I prefer it to other solutions.
Believe it or not, not everyone uses a computer the way you deem correct.
There aren’t that many financial applications for the Mac and those that do exist often suck compared to their Windoze counterpart. The people that makes those applications create their web sites with the same thought process. Windows only. They could care less about Mac users. I don’t like it either but it is a fact.
I get so tired of my fellow Mac users that think their way is the only way and if it doesn’t run on a Mac, it’s crap. This is not a religion! At least it shouldn’t be.
IE is crap but the information I want to get to on investors.com is NOT crap.
The question I was answering had to do with “Why people use IE.” There are still good reasons to do so, even if the browser in question sucks.
Your quote:
“Any “company” still building to exclusive IE “standards” is either only doing “business” with itself internally or has fallen so far behind the proverbial technology eight-ball that I’d question their relevance, competitive viability, and their CIO.”
Lets hope their CIOs soon believes that is true. But for now, the markets paint a different picture of reality.
It’s amazing how many sites, new and old, don’t work properly with Safari, or even Firefox. Wait, I thought the Internet was supposed to make the platform irrelevant.
@IE “Standards”
Not when there is a monopoly involved and allowed to continue.
@ Demon
You are funny. My PC doesn’t have any of those bloatware you have mentioned above.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” /> I assume your MAC is more bloated than a typical PC.
http://www.bing.com When it comes to decisions that matter, Bing & Decide
ANY time I hit a site that doesn’t run on anything but IE I send the listed contact person a polite but very clear email requesting that they update their site immediately to allow for use by more modern and functional browsers (both Mac AND Windopes). If enough people do that, some of the IT/webmaster people HAVE to begin to “get it.” I also make it clear that until their site can accommodate another browser I will make it a point to take my business elsewhere.
Waiting to see this:
Google attacked by hackers, Apple unaffected.
Earthquake in Haiti, Apple Stores unaffected.
All PCs have bloatware:
It’s called Windows.
MS posted a patch, for all versions of Explorer, last Tuesday via Windows Update. Most users likely (should) have Update set to run automatically. (If I had to bet on who has the most security issuesI I wouild be on Adobe.)
do any of you idiots know how to spell?