Over 200 websites, including not only adult and gambling sites but also legitimate business addresses, have been compromised with dangerous code aimed at exploiting three unpatched vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE).
The first vulnerability only causes the browser to malfunction if a user opens a page containing malicious code. The other two vulnerabilities are more severe, as they can be exploited by hackers to gain complete control over the system. This issue affects IE running on Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003.
Stephen Toulouse, Director of Security Programs at Microsoft, stated that the IE vulnerability has “limited scope of impact” and they plan to release a patch in their security bulletin on April 11. Microsoft recommends users switch to the beta version of Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2.
However, the situation has escalated beyond that. Many security firms report that several websites and servers have been turned into hosts for malicious code, waiting for opportunities to infiltrate computers. Among these sites are corporate websites, resorts, business consulting, and insurance services.
Abdel Marriez, a truck driver from New York, became a victim of IE when his credit card information and multiple credentials were stolen online. Marriez expressed confusion over how that dangerous code managed to infiltrate his computer, as he had the latest version of Norton Anti-virus installed. Marriez has decided to change his browser: “My relationship with IE is over“.
T.N
