TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Microsoft Offers Explorer Patch Ahead of Schedule

Microsoft Offers Explorer Patch Ahead of Schedule

Reuters News Wire (reuters@telecom-digest.org)
Wed, 27 Sep 2006 13:59:41 -0500

Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday released a security patch to fix a
"critical" hole in its Internet Explorer Web browser that the world's
biggest software maker said could allow an attacker to take control of
a user's computer.

The patch was released two weeks ahead of a regularly scheduled
monthly security update after Microsoft said it became aware of a
"public attack utilizing the vulnerability." The company added that
the impact on customers was "limited."

Microsoft typically issues security patches at the beginning of the
month.

The flaw rated at critical -- the highest level -- exists in the
coding for Vector Markup Language, or VML.

The company defines a flaw as "critical" when the vulnerability could
allow a damaging Internet worm to replicate without the user doing
anything to the machine.

The company has been working for more than three years to improve the
security and reliability of its software as more and more malicious
attacks target weaknesses in Windows and other Microsoft software.

Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited.

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