Microsoft issuing emergency browser fix on Wed.

[DarthPrime]

Not sure how many people use IE, but apparently this is a big problem. The patch is coming out tomorrow, and will be available on Windows Update, or though the Automatic Updates. I think at this time its IE only. If you use IE be careful until the patch is released. There is also a new Firefox (3.05) that was released, but I have no ideal if it was because of this problem or something else.

REDMOND, Wash. - Microsoft Corp. is taking the unusual step of issuing an emergency fix for a security hole in its Internet Explorer software that has exposed millions of users to having their computers taken over by hackers.

The "zero-day" vulnerability, which came to light last week, allows criminals to take over victims' machines simply by steering them to infected Web sites; users don't have to download anything for their computers to get infected, which makes the flaw in Internet Explorer's programming code so dangerous. Internet Explorer is the world's most widely used Web browser.

Microsoft said it plans to ship a security update, rated "critical," for the browser on Wednesday. People with the Windows Update feature activated on their computers will get the patch automatically.

Thousands of Web sites already have been compromised by criminals looking to exploit the flaw. The bad guys have loaded malicious code onto those sites that automatically infect visitors' machines if they're using Internet Explorer and haven't employed a complicated series of workarounds that Microsoft has suggested.

Microsoft said it has seen attacks targeting the flaw only in Internet Explorer 7, the most widely used version, but has cautioned that all other current editions of the browser are vulnerable.

Microsoft rarely issues security fixes for its software outside of its regular monthly updates. The company last did it in October, and a year and half before that.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28258894/

[DarthPrime]

The updates are now on the Windows Update site.

Already patched my Vista 64-bit system, now I'm installing the updates on my older Windows 2000 Pro system (although it only runs IE6 there is a update for this version too).

Although I run Firefox, its still worthwhile to run the update since IE is such a big part of Windows.

[blackcauldron85]

How do we know if we need to manually install it?

[DarthPrime]

How do we know if we need to manually install it?

Its supposed to download if you have Automatic Updates enabled. It didn't come though on my Automatic Updates this evening so I just ran Windows Update from the start menu and it found it on my computers. It lists it as a IE update, and the wording is a little different for each version of Windows. I think the Vista update was around 5 megs, and the Windows 2000 one was around 2 or 3 megs, so its a pretty small patch. I don't have a XP machine anymore, but there is a update for XP as well.

You select it to install, and then it asks you to reboot your computer.

It should eventually come though by itself if you have Automatic Updates enabled, but I went ahead and installed it from Windows Updates. If you use IE as your primary browser I would go ahead and install it now.

[pap64]

I use Safari PC, so I should be set...

[DisneyLover27]

can someone post a link for me i think my computer was attacked please

thanks

[blackcauldron85]

I just ended up on a website that froze my computer, so I had to turn it off without shutting it down, and so I went to Windows Update like you had mentioned, DarthPrime, and it had one update for me, but it says that every day at 3am it's set to update...so the topic of this thread probably already got put on my computer. I'm installing Microsoft Update right now, since I only was receiving updates on Windows and not other Microsoft programs.

Thanks for informing us all!

[DarthPrime]

I just ended up on a website that froze my computer, so I had to turn it off without shutting it down, and so I went to Windows Update like you had mentioned, DarthPrime, and it had one update for me, but it says that every day at 3am it's set to update...so the topic of this thread probably already got put on my computer. I'm installing Microsoft Update right now, since I only was receiving updates on Windows and not other Microsoft programs.

Thanks for informing us all!

No problem.

It usually checks once a day for updates, but Microsoft usually only releases them once a month. You can change what time to check for updates under the settings if you want. I have mine set to automatically download, but not to install. That way I can review whats going to be updated before its actually updated. I know some people that leave it off, and just check once a month for updates (its usually the first Tuesday each month that new updates are released).

I don't use Microsoft Update, but its basically the same thing as Windows Update. It will update your Microsoft Office, and I think a few other programs show up too.