New Internet Explorer code-execution attacks go wild

Online thugs are exploiting a security bug in earlier versions of Internet Explorer that allows them to remotely execute malicious code, Microsoft warned on Tuesday. The vulnerability in IE versions 6 and 7 allows remote attackers to gain the same access to the affected PC as the local user. The bug, which stems from an invalid …

[Anonymous Coward]

I wonder....

...if these 'thugs' are secretly an organisation wishing to hasten the migration of IE6/7 users to newer browsers. Hows that for a conspiracy theory.

[gav_taylor]

RE: I wonder....

lets hope so...

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh God!

Here we go again...

[Timo]

I for one welcome our IE6 rooting overlords

They may finally force my company to get into the past decade, as we run IE6 and I'd love to get onto anything better.

[Anonymous Coward]

RE: I for one welcome our IE6 rooting overlords

"They may finally force my company to get into the past decade, as we run IE6 and I'd love to get onto anything better"

Try asking about installing a better operating system than Windows, that'll be a good start!

[Mark 65]

WTF?

How do you become an online thug? Phishing attacks with menaces?

[Anonymous Coward]

Fixed that for you

"The bug, which stems from an invalid pointer reference, either doesn't exist in IE 8 or can't be exploited in that version, providing users with yet another strong reason to upgrade to Firefox."

[Anonymous Coward]

Frying pans to fire

It's a good job Firefox doesn't have vulnerabilities (see http://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/firefox35.html)

[Geoff Mackenzie]

Or, you could look here:

http://www.mozilla.org/security/known-vulnerabilities/firefox36.html

Note the 'fixed in' heading.

Of course FF has vulnerabilities, but I think IE->FF is 'out of the fire, into a warm bath.'

[mhenriday]

«The bug, which stems from an invalid pointer reference,

either doesn't exist in IE 8 or can't be exploited in that version, providing users with yet another strong reason to upgrade to Microsoft's latest browser.» Or perhaps an alternative browser - even though that seems to have slipped Dan Goodin's mind entirely ?...

Henri

[Anonymous Coward]

@mhenriday

Why should Dan bother? It'd be redundant effort since Firefox zealots can be relied on to start yammering on any chance they get. For people who have a tendency to boast about their intelligence, they're certainly slow to understand that their message isn't getting through. Guess it hasn't occurred to them that the thickos using IE they're always slagging off most probably don't read The Register so they're wasting their time and everyone's network traffic? Opera's done more to make people aware of Firefox than you guys ever will ...

[Anonymous Coward]

Which user???

"......same access to the affected PC as the local user"

That will be The Administrator then!

[Anonymous Coward]

I think it's time for another MS investigation.

Interesting how this latest bug is "mitigated" or "not available" in newer versions of the software. Is M$ itself releasing these bugs? Inquiring minds want to know!