Microsoft Alert for Security Problems with IE (all versions)

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Deficiency in IE.

 

Well, folks, pick your browser.  Anything but IE.

[Tropod 144]

That's why I avoid IE at all costs if/where I can help it.

Interesting the timing of this. Article stated it covers IE 6-11? Really come on. IE6 has been around how long & they've only just discovered a flaw with it

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Really says something about the Qualify Assurance.  Secret source code is always a problem because not enough eyes see it.  The same thing applies to any outfit that holds software used by the public as trade secret.  Linux anyone?

[Larks2242 251]

Well you knew this was going to happen, But who uses IE as a default these days? It is so clunky compared to the alternatives.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Well you knew this was going to happen, But who uses IE as a default these days? It is so clunky compared to the alternatives.

IE users are the usual lazy people who also put up with Windows because they believe all the negative nonsense about Linux.  Most of them wouldn't know a bit from a byte.

[Terring 6,476]

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

ROFLMAO!  Some good art work.  But we've all known that for years, I hope.  Is this not a sermon for the choir?

[Cyclone Boom 17,016]

Most of the people who use IE are probably at work or school, where there's usually no other option provided. Many organisations are still so tied to using IE, seemingly too lazy to install an alternative. Whereas the average home user will be more inclined to avoid it completely, since Firefox and Chrome are more customisable for each person's needs. I guess part of the reason for companies is to do with group policy, which imposes restrictions on features -- like restricting downloading or access to certain admin settings. However, there are ways to achieve this with other browsers, so the only excuse is really the learning curve involved.

 

Security flaws like this are seemingly found in IE each month. With these only being investigated and fixed internally, it often takes a long time. Then there's the problem of limited testing which means new holes are often found straight after. As new IE versions build on previous ones, that's why these bugs can affect the whole range.

 

Of course, the main problem is IE not being open source, and probably never will be. Hackers are less likely to exploit open source software, with it not being as big a challenge. The same could be said for Linux vs. Windows. When there's a security issue, it'll be fixed a lot quicker with more people working on a solution. Then there's the beta testing which helps with ironing out any issues before the mainstream release.

[jmsepe 2,039]

Well IE for me is a thing of the past, currently on Opera now. 

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

CBC Take on Avoidance Strategy.

 

My preference for Internet stuff is Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird+Lightening.  Browser, e-mail client + calendar system.  Being on Linux is not necessarily safe.  I also run CLAM-AV and the firewall.

 

Publishing the fact that IE is vulnerable has undoubtedly attracted a full set of 'me-too' hackers.  Time to get off Microsoft's box of bugs and back-doors altogether.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I think that Microsoft should patch the 3 latest Internet Explorers and encourage people to install 3rd party browsers (like they are forced to do in EU). Of course, I would not be surprised if something similar is discovered for Safari, in which case I think that Apple should do likewise. Those that are using IE7 or lower (especially on Windows XP nowadays) should upgrade, avoiding that will not help them (and will generate some schadenfreude laughs for me and those like me).

 

--Ocram

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Too simple.  Microshaft doesn't have a current solution.  If you read the last article I posted, you can see that IE users, once pollinated by this problem, are subject to a sideswipe attack that doesn't even involve the owner of the machine.  It is time to realize that the Emperor has no clothes.

[Fatherted 129]

@Occram, you have the wrong idea. It is not illegal for a user to only have IE installed, albeit not a good idea.

I use an old version of Safari, very safe if a bit slow.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I use Firefox and Chrome.

I read a few years ago that Microsoft was forced to offer alternatives to Internet Explorer in the EU because of antitrust measures.

--Ocram

[Duke87 1,070]

Most of the people who use IE are probably at work or school, where there's usually no other option provided. Many organisations are still so tied to using IE, seemingly too lazy to install an alternative. Whereas the average home user will be more inclined to avoid it completely, since Firefox and Chrome are more customisable for each person's needs.

 

Indeed. I use Firefox exclusively at home, and I use it to the degree I practically can at work... but some work-related things (such as our expense report system) only work properly in Internet Explorer.

 

Likewise, even for things which work in Firefox, I have to enter my username and password every time in Firefox while IE automatically logs me in because it recognizes my being logged into Windows as authentication. The dumb part is, the way Firefox does it is more secure! But corporations do not easily change their mindsets, and the IT people I am sure would have a tough time convincing the suits to let them move things away from Internet Explorer because that costs money and non-technical people will not understand the benefit.

[Fatherted 129]

Microsoft are (on PCs) forced to allow an alternative option. They do not have to have it preinstalled, nor must they advertise this feature. They only need to allow the program to run, and most things run on x86 Windows anyway.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

^ Only true in the EU.  In the NA market you have to eschew Windows entirely to avoid it.  I buy my hardware naked, which is relatively hard to do unless you live in an urban centre and can get to OEM builders to order up a custom machine or build your own. 

 

It takes about half a day to install Ubuntu completely and restore your files from backup on a naked system.  Less time than that if you are willing to live with only the defaults, but I want some extra stuff which has to be loaded after the install (GIMP is not a default, for example).  The latest version will no longer fit on a CD, so you have to burn a DVD to get the boot set up.

[Fatherted 129]

News is that MS have fixed this, including XP. Quicker than I thought it would be.

Is it really impossible to run Chrome or Firefox on Windows in the US? In my experience it wasn't...

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

When I was still running Windows XP, I ran firefox and Thunderbird for mail.  If they have inhibited this since, shame on them.

 

Confirmation of the fix.

 

For them, it was very fast.  Amazing what happens when you have a gun to your head regarding one of your most touted products, eh?

[Cyclone Boom 17,016]

I'm quite surprised it's been fixed for XP as well. Good on Microsoft for doing this, for what it's worth.

 

"The reality is there have been a very small number of attacks based on this particular vulnerability and concerns were, frankly, overblown."

 

But this statement is somewhat contradictory. If concerns were "overblown", why would the patch be released for XP now support has ended? It's inevitable there will be more security holes found in the near future. At some stage there will have to be a line drawn.

 

Maybe the security risks posed have just been played down. This is an out-of-cycle update which is quite rare. So there must have been concerns it could be exploited on a wide scale.

[Duke87 1,070]

Is it really impossible to run Chrome or Firefox on Windows in the US? In my experience it wasn't...

 

No. I am using Firefox on a US version of Windows and have done so on multiple computers both with XP and Windows 7.

 

What you cannot get in the US is a copy of Windows that does not come prepackaged with Internet Explorer set as the system's default browser. You can use any browser you want, and you can change what the default browser is, but you cannot uninstall Internet Explorer.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I'm quite surprised it's been fixed for XP as well. Good on Microsoft for doing this, for what it's worth.

 

"The reality is there have been a very small number of attacks based on this particular vulnerability and concerns were, frankly, overblown."

 

But this statement is somewhat contradictory. If concerns were "overblown", why would the patch be released for XP now support has ended? It's inevitable there will be more security holes found in the near future. At some stage there will have to be a line drawn.

 

Maybe the security risks posed have just been played down. This is an out-of-cycle update which is quite rare. So there must have been concerns it could be exploited on a wide scale.

While the problem was unknown to most people, it was not serious.  The publicity made it top priority to fix.  MS could not afford to have a published hole in one of their most cherished applications.