Hackers seize Internet Explorer bug, no patch for Windows XP

[A Guy]

IE 6 to 11 puts Win PCs at risk of hijacking, fix coming – but not for dead OSes

Microsoft has warned of a new flaw in all available versions of its Internet Explorer web browser.

Vulnerability CVE-2014-1776, to give the problem its formal name, allows miscreants to hijack at-risk Windows computers. It's all due to “the way Internet Explorer accesses an object in memory that has been deleted or has not been properly allocated”, the software giant explained on Saturday.

The flaw means the browser “may corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user within Internet Explorer".

"Microsoft is aware of limited, targeted attacks that attempt to exploit [this] vulnerability in Internet Explorer," the software giant added.

"An attacker could host a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit this vulnerability through Internet Explorer and then convince a user to view the website.”

Internet Explorer 6 through 11 are all at risk, on all current versions of Windows from Vista to 8 and Windows Server 2003 to 2012 R2. The bug is understood to be present in IE on Windows XP, although that operating system is no longer supported.

Source

A Guy

 

[Computer0304]

I hope I dont get attacked. Do you think this is worse than Heartbleed? IE has a larger market share than websites that use OpenSSL. Good thing I have both a good antivirus and antimalware.

 

[A Guy]

Read the link on Anaks post for a quick mitigation

http://www.sevenforums.com/security-news/329962-steve-grc-gibson-s-take-ie-s-0day-attack.html

MS will likely issue a patch today. A Guy

 

[JBmorris]

I heard this too. I am going to use FF or higher from now on, the patch is never happening to WinXP anymore. But I could be wrong.

 

[NoN]

Looks there's a workaround the time to wait for a patch...just saw that today!

One workaround, which is listed towards the bottom of Microsoft's alert, includes disabling VGX.dll, which is responsible for rendering of VML (Vector Markup Language) code in webpages. VML is only infrequently used on the web, Kandek adds, so disabling it in IE is the best way to prevent exploitation. To deregister it, type in the following:

0-Day Vulnerability in Internet Explorer Threatens Windows XP

 

[ThrashZone]

Yea Yawn

Thanks for the link to Anaks story not sure how I missed that one

Microsoft did release this today,
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2929437/en-us

 

[carwiz]

It's pretty much the same warning that's getting blown out of proportion by the anti-MS and anti-IE crowd. You gotta be as smart as a rock to fall for the typical scams used to get people to click on links that are infected.

Mitigating Factors:

• By default, Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2 runs in a restricted mode that is known as Enhanced Security Configuration. This mode mitigates this vulnerability.
• By default, all supported versions of Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, and Windows Mail open HTML email messages in the Restricted sites zone. The Restricted sites zone, which disables script and ActiveX controls, helps reduce the risk of an attacker being able to use this vulnerability to execute malicious code. If a user clicks a link in an email message, the user could still be vulnerable to exploitation of this vulnerability through the web-based attack scenario.
• An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
• In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a website that contains a webpage that is used to exploit this vulnerability. In addition, compromised websites and websites that accept or host user-provided content or advertisements could contain specially crafted content that could exploit this vulnerability. In all cases, however, an attacker would have no way to force users to visit these websites. Instead, an attacker would have to convince users to visit the website, typically by getting them to click a link in an email message or Instant Messenger message that takes users to the attacker's website.

 

[Layback Bear]

Things I can and can not do any thing about.
Can't Do'S
1. I can not stop attackers from trying to get into my system.
2. I can not use a browser that is 100% safe all the time.
3. I can not update my browser and security programs faster than the updates are out (published).
4. I can not slow down the bad guys from coming up with new ways to attack my system.
** Their are many more things I can not do. Add to the list as you see fit.
------------------------------------
Can DO's
1. I can read security news like we are doing now. A Guy and others post many of them. Having a basic knowledge of what the bad guys are up to will help.
2. I can keep all my security programs updated often. Once a week is not enough.
3. I can check other programs such as Adobe, Flash ect. and make sure they have their security updates.
4. I can do security scans for infections, PUP, Adware ect. even when their are no signs of a problem. I can have a problem and not know it.
5. I can choose not to open goofy emails, Instant Messages ect.
I can't believe people still do this after a decade of warnings.
6. I can shut down the computer when a web page starts to act crazy and doing a lot of things I didn't ask for and then run security scans.
7. I can choose not to use P2P/Torrents.
8. I can choose who gets my email address to some degree.
9. I can choose who gets my personnel information to some degree.
10. I can choose how the keyboard and mouse are used and when.
This is the big one: If I choose to use the mouse and keyboard in a unsafe way then I will get in trouble quickly.

Note:
If they ever did create programs to protect my system 100% from the bad guys we all would have it.
Now they would have to create a program to protect me and my system from me. Only I can protect me and my system from me.

 

[Jacee]

Kudos Layback Bear!

 

[Layback Bear]

Thank you Jacee.

 

[Urthboundmisfit]

Things I can and can not do any thing about.
Can't Do'S
1. I can not stop attackers from trying to get into my system.
2. I can not use a browser that is 100% safe all the time.
3. I can not update my browser and security programs faster than the updates are out (published).
4. I can not slow down the bad guys from coming up with new ways to attack my system.
** Their are many more things I can not do. Add to the list as you see fit.
------------------------------------
Can DO's
1. I can read security news like we are doing now. A Guy and others post many of them. Having a basic knowledge of what the bad guys are up to will help.
2. I can keep all my security programs updated often. Once a week is not enough.
3. I can check other programs such as Adobe, Flash ect. and make sure they have their security updates.
4. I can do security scans for infections, PUP, Adware ect. even when their are no signs of a problem. I can have a problem and not know it.
5. I can choose not to open goofy emails, Instant Messages ect.
I can't believe people still do this after a decade of warnings.
6. I can shut down the computer when a web page starts to act crazy and doing a lot of things I didn't ask for and then run security scans.
7. I can choose not to use P2P/Torrents.
8. I can choose who gets my email address to some degree.
9. I can choose who gets my personnel information to some degree.
10. I can choose how the keyboard and mouse are used and when.
This is the big one: If I choose to use the mouse and keyboard in a unsafe way then I will get in trouble quickly.

Note:
If they ever did create programs to protect my system 100% from the bad guys we all would have it.
Now they would have to create a program to protect me and my system from me. Only I can protect me and my system from me.

Good post!

 

[Layback Bear]

Thank you Urthboundmisfit.