Reportedly around 900 million Internet Explorer users where hit with a massive bug in their browser. According to Microsoft, the bug allows hackers to run a script via Internet Explorer that could result in personal data being stolen.
The bug affects all current versions of Windows, including Windows XP. The threat should be taken serious, and all users of Internet Explorer should download the patch from Microsoft. Even if you do not use IE very often, you should still download the patch as extra precaution for your own security.
Check out the full Microsoft press release for more information after the jump!
Here is the official statement from Microsoft:
Microsoft is investigating new public reports of a vulnerability in all supported editions of Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow an attacker to cause a victim to run malicious scripts when visiting various Web sites, resulting in information disclosure. This impact is similar to server-side cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities. Microsoft is aware of published information and proof-of-concept code that attempts to exploit this vulnerability. At this time, Microsoft has not seen any indications of active exploitation of the vulnerability.
The vulnerability exists due to the way MHTML interprets MIME-formatted requests for content blocks within a document. It is possible under certain conditions for this vulnerability to allow an attacker to inject a client-side script in the response of a Web request run in the context of the victim’s Internet Explorer. The script could spoof content, disclose information, or take any action that the user could take on the affected Web site on behalf of the targeted user.
We are actively working with partners in our Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) to provide information that they can use to provide broader protections to customers.
We are collaborating with Service Providers to investigate server-side workarounds, but we recommend that customers apply one or more of the client-side workarounds provided in the Suggested Actions section of this advisory to help block potential attack vectors regardless of the service.
Upon completion of this investigation, Microsoft will take the appropriate action to help protect our customers. This may include providing a security update through our monthly release process or providing an out-of-cycle security update, depending on customer needs.
Via ZDNet