Internet Explorer Users Beware!

[Feuer Frei!]

MICROSOFT has issued a critical security alert that affects 900 million people using its Internet Explorer web browser.

The computer giant warned of a newly-discovered flaw in Windows that could be exploited by hackers to steal personal details or take over computers.

The glitch is so severe it potentially affects every user of Internet Explorer.

Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari browsers are all unaffected by the threat because, unlike Internet Explorer, they don't support MHTML files, where the problem lies.

A Windows update to fix the bug has not yet been released.

In the meantime, Internet Explorer users are being urged to patch their browser with a Microsoft Fixit patch:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/srd/


FULL ARTICLE/SOURCE

[gimpy117]

I haven't used IE for years. No matter what they do, that program is Always garbage.

[danlisa]

Originally Posted by Feuer Frei!

Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari browsers are all unaffected by the threat because, unlike Internet Explorer users, they have a modicum of sense and self preservation......

Fixed.

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by gimpy117

that program is Always garbage.

900 million people can't be wrong!
Wait...what?
(for the record, Firefox user here).

[Herr-Berbunch]

So Microsoft have again put a door in their Windows 900 million users are lazy or uneducated.

Firefox has it nailed shut ~190 million users can't be wrong.

But not all 900 million occurrences of IE are used, I have it on all work and home computers but only ever use it for a site that needs it (MS online training, systemrequirements.com, very little else!)

As an aside - although I mainly use Google as my primary search engine, their behaviour regarding privacy (collecting Wi-Fi details 'accidently' whilst doing their StreetView program?, amongst others!) leaves little trust in their browser.

As another aside - my wife only ever uses IE as she finds FF too different and confusing (she's intelligent - studying for Masters ) can't cope with tabbed browsing even though IE finally supports it!

[CaptainHaplo]

I find it amazing how people are anti-microsoft - yet run the software anyway. Windows is a heck of a lot more complex a OS "program" (although its many of them working together) than something like Silent Hunter. The Millions of lines of code that go into an OS compared to those of a game - due to their purpose - are alot more apt to create bugs. Yet, companies like M$ are alot more responsive to problems than say, Ubisoft. *This is not slamming the devs, just that the business models operate very differently and thus the companies have different focuses.*

MS constantly develops patches, workarounds and combined service packs to resolve issues - for years after a product launches. Game companies? Normally a year if your lucky.

But if people get a chance to jump on MS - they do.

Chrome? Please - that thing was (and is)so full of security holes its unreal.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20014222-264.html

Firefox? Here is a list of things they have had to fix - so far....
http://www.mozilla.org/security/know...firefox36.html

Safari? Its Apple - it must be secure, right? Think again.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4196

Any program of sufficient complexity is going to have problems. Thinking that just because its an M$ product means its evil, bad, or unsafe while under the assumption that other stuff is fine, means you truly do not understand the technology your dealing with. Want to complain, at least find a target that doesn't fix the problems in their software after they get your money.

Like some game companies.

[Takeda Shingen]

Remember when Firefox users couldn't visit SubSim for a week? Must have felt very educated and sensible.

[Sailor Steve]

If anything could keep me using IE it's the arrogant attitudes I see in this thread. I don't mind honest comparisons, but this "You're an idiot if you use XXX" is as childish at the very least. I don't mind being instructed, but talked down to? Stuff it.

[Feuer Frei!]

Originally Posted by MaddogK

If you read the article it says the problem is with WINDOWS, and IE exploits the security hole.

Yea although:

presumably because they don't want users to migrate to other browsers.

Also:

This workaround is an MSI package (Microsoft "FixIt") that uses the Windows application compatibility toolkit to make a small change to MSHTML.DLL every time it is loaded by Internet Explorer. This change causes Internet Explorer to refuse to import a CSS style sheet if it has the same URL as the CSS style sheet from which it is being loaded. Simply put, the workaround inserts a check to see if a style sheet is about to be loaded recursively, and if it so, it aborts the load of the style sheet.

It would certainly seem that it is a Internet Explorer issue, since the patch/workaround addresses exactly that.

[Tchocky]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

Remember when Firefox users couldn't visit SubSim for a week? Must have felt very educated and sensible.

Haha, very good.

I use Firefox, have done for years. I don't like IE too much, but it's not actively awful, at least in version 8+. I hate Chrome for the same reason I dislike Apple products - it feels like I'm using a toy. Firefox I can keep the way I likes it.

What the hell do I know though, I like Vista

[Growler]

Microsoft's the biggest kid on the block; of course people are going to take potshots. Some may be justified, some, not so much.

I used Firefox until it started getting v....e....r....y....s....l....o....w.... loading pages. Then I switched to Chrome; I'm satisfied with it, and with the Firewall and Security software I've loaded onto this thing. It's not a matter of which one's "more secure" or whatever. I just like what I use at the moment.

And consider: Microsoft is writing and maintaining how many zillion lines of code, on how many different types of platforms, across how many languages, across how many different iterations of not only OS, but also web browsers, Office software... frankly, I'm not surprised that there are errors and holes. What amazes me is that any of it works at all, let alone as well as it does.

[CaptainHaplo]

Maddogk - I own no stocks in M$, nor am I a developer - for them or anyone else.

what choice do we have ?

For the majority of users, there are a lot of choices. What flavor gui would you like running Linux? Want something that looks and acts like windows, just with different logos and some minor differences? Its out there, in spades. Productivity software? Open Office works find on Linux or Mac. WINE even allows you to play windows based games, All for free.

The market hasn't moved to this because people don't like change. So complain to the people that don't like to change what they do, instead of about the company that makes it easy for them to just "keep doing".

Seriously - you shouldn't judge people based on one snippet and your own anti-whatever attitude. I know network and system security. I am not beholden to one entity. Not Cisco, not Bay Area, not HP or Dell, and not M$ or Sun either.

The OP tone was "anything is better than xxxx" - and I simply proved that the "anythings" mentioned had their share of problems. Hate it that it rubbed against your anti-M$ veiwpoint, but thats your problem, not mine.

[the_tyrant]

You know what, Microsoft products seem unsafe because so many hackers are trying to find exploits in it
Number of vulnerabilities

Vendor Name Number of Products Number of Vulnerabilities #Vulnerabilities/#Products
1 Microsoft 307 2534 8
2 Apple 91 1393 15
3 SUN 200 1207 6
4 IBM 213 1133 5
5 Oracle 139 980 7
6 Cisco 566 855 2
7 Mozilla 14 790 56
8 Linux 12 763 64

source:http://cvedetails.com/top-50-vendors.php?year=0

Really, its not that bad considering how many Microsoft products there are out there, and the market share of those Microsoft products

[Feuer Frei!]

TWO WORDS:

OPEN SOURCE!

[the_tyrant]

Originally Posted by MaddogK

Really, I'm not judging you or anyone else.
Why are you so defensive ?

BTW, I HATE GUI's, I could live in a text only world, but too many of games I play require (cough,cough) windows, directX, and drivers to support the GUI.

Really mate?
Text only?
sure its possible, and i can use windows command prompt and linux but suggesting that we stop using the gui is absurd