“Microsoft Corp. raced to release a fix for a security hole in its Internet Explorer Web browser as the company sought to contain the fallout from governments urging users to switch to competing software,” Nick Wingfield and David Crawford report for The Wall Street Journal.
“The Redmond, Wash., company said it plans to issue a software update for Internet Explorer on Thursday to patch a security vulnerability first reported last week that could allow hackers to take over a computer that visits Web sites loaded with malicious code,” Wingfield and Crawford report. “While Internet Explorer has suffered numerous security vulnerabilities over the years, the latest flaw is especially high-profile because it is believed to have been used in attacks on Google Inc. and other companies that Google linked to China.”
Wingfield and Crawford report, “Government agencies in France and Germany responded in recent days by urging users to switch to alternative browsers, at least temporarily, until Microsoft could find a fix for the problem. The Australian government on Friday also recommended switching Web browsers as one of several precautions users could take to stay safe online.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Once again, if you have a choice (i.e. no IT doofus standing over your shoulder dictating stupidity) and are still using Internet Explorer, STOP IMMEDIATELY! Go get yourself a real Web browser.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Peter L.” for the heads up.]
People are stupid
Software makers that make shitty browsers are stupid
Besides making the patch, MS needs to make it easier to actually use thing. Too many computers that haven’t been updated for the problems that are already fixed.
I’m at a loss. Other than the Google attack, how does this hole differ from every other hole that has existed in IE since the introduction of ActiveX?
the title has an error. I should read…”Microsoft flushes to patch IE….
As it is also circling the proverbial porcelain telephone.
Can you imagine someone who temporarily switched to Safari wanting to go back to IE when this latest hole is patched? Even Firefox is an aesthetically-challenged mess compared to Safari.
Patch the magic add-on, in a land called Honna-Lee. Or something.
What’s up with the nyguardian ads at mdn? it’s like going back in time being forced to cancel out of ‘do you want to close this’ windows, and not in a good way.
Obviously, this is why the Obama administration asked M$ for advice on innovation (http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/23740/). Both want to stay on top without having a clue about to handle security.
…about HOW to handle security (sorry)
I used to work at a major Federal department where Internet Explorer was the only approved browser, except on platforms where it was not available (Mac, Solaris, Linux). I *was* the IT guy in one department with both a Windows and a Mac on my desk. And I tried to get a waiver to run Firefox on Windows 2003 Servers, making it available to Windows users via Terminal Services.
The waiver request was denied. A colleague, wanting to avoid trouble, was in the meantime busy stripping that Firefox off some of the overseas servers we supported.
The rational was typical of small-minded bureaucrats. It would be “costly” to have our web sites modified to support non-IE browsers, he claimed. And IE vulnerabilities didn’t justify an alternative browser because “we work closely with Microsoft” to deal with these issues.
I hear ya, Raymond. Most IT guys hate IE as well, but most IT decisions are made by managers who have invested too much time and money in dealing with MS to make a decisive break their routine.
Sadly. The White House is still seeking IT innovation ideas from Microsoft’s salesman. Gone is the hope of US’s technology domination.
The “Inconvenient Truth” about IE and Microsoft should be pushed by Al Gore with the US Government. If he isn’t doing that for Apple than WHY IS AL GORE ON THE BOARD AT APPLE????
Come on Al, STEP UP AND TRY PUSHING A MAC AT THE WHITE HOUSE! I hear that the have no problem spending TRILLION these days! It would be great to get something with that tax money for a CHANGE.
I’m viewing this page via Internet Explorer 8. This flaw doesn’t effect me at all.
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http://www.bing.com When it comes to decisions that matter, Bing & Decide
Let’s not forget everyone that there was a similar issue with Safari last year. Schadenfreude is really odious when it’s hypocritical.
Safari is good on the Mac, but on Windows, it blows.
@I’m a PC…This flaw doesn’t effect me at all.
Considering that you are using a PC to use IE8…I think it did!
There will just be another hole that hackers can use to attack companies. It’s easy, download Safari or FireFox or better yet get rid of the POS PC and get a Mac.
All of those arguments of Macs are too expensive go away when you loose all of that “invaluable” data.
And just why, exactly, was Google using IE and not Chrome?
“Microsoft rushes to patch Internet Explorer” LOL
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@I’m a PC
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It may not ‘effect’ you but it has affected you.
The thing still can’t handle SERVER PUSH video streaming! How many years has that been the preferred technology to a Java Applet?
I am always amazed why ANYONE still uses that POS!