Soldato
- Joined
- 13 Sep 2007
- Posts
- 3,951
Internet Explorer security alert
- Thread starter Snakedoctor
- Start date
Nothing about switching to another browser on microsoft web site, so unsure where this has come from?
Maybe wise though if you use IE7 with passwords for sites just in case, but im sure within 24hours the patch will be out. Hope so for MS sake.
Maybe wise though if you use IE7 with passwords for sites just in case, but im sure within 24hours the patch will be out. Hope so for MS sake.
install firefox http://download.mozilla.org/?product=firefox-3.0.4&os=win&lang=en-GB
install adblock plus (click this link in firefox) https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865
once you've restarted to install adblock plus, click here abp://subscribe/?location=http://ea...ement+easylist.txt&title=EasyElement+EasyList
that'll stop any ads showing up, and you'll now have nice clean browsing
never use IE again.
install adblock plus (click this link in firefox) https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865
once you've restarted to install adblock plus, click here abp://subscribe/?location=http://ea...ement+easylist.txt&title=EasyElement+EasyList
that'll stop any ads showing up, and you'll now have nice clean browsing
never use IE again.
- Joined
- 13 Sep 2007
- Posts
- 3,951
Or you could ignore firefox and switch to a browser with less security flaws than IE... I'd suggest Opera 
And all the people with Vista with UAC turned off because it does 'nothing', turn it back on... because as well as the protected mode thing, UAC also limits the access rights of the user, so if the code manages to take on the access rights of the user, it still does not have full system control.
And all the people with Vista with UAC turned off because it does 'nothing', turn it back on... because as well as the protected mode thing, UAC also limits the access rights of the user, so if the code manages to take on the access rights of the user, it still does not have full system control.
Last edited:
It's a serious issue, yes.
However, the way it's reported via the media, for example, the BBC News website, is a bit misleading for your average "Joe" who knows little about PC's.
There's nothing in the report making it clear that a user would actually have to visit a "malicious" website which is exploiting this flaw in order to put their system at risk from this vulnerability. There's a bit of a confusing mish-mash of info near the end of that BBC report which mentions websites that offer programs that steal computer game passwords but for the average punter off the street, that means diddly squat to them.
Yes, it's a serious issue but scaremongering by way of misinformation via the media really doesn't help anyone.
Basically what the BBC report is saying is "Switch browsers or your doomed!!!".
Switching browsers of course is a sensible option to take, but I've already had 4 people call me this morning saying "OMG....!!!! Have you heard?. Don't use IE today, hurry.....!!!!......switch browsers to a thing called Firefox, the BBC says you must...!!!!".
All a bit of a drama out of a crisis to be honest.
However, the way it's reported via the media, for example, the BBC News website, is a bit misleading for your average "Joe" who knows little about PC's.
There's nothing in the report making it clear that a user would actually have to visit a "malicious" website which is exploiting this flaw in order to put their system at risk from this vulnerability. There's a bit of a confusing mish-mash of info near the end of that BBC report which mentions websites that offer programs that steal computer game passwords but for the average punter off the street, that means diddly squat to them.
Yes, it's a serious issue but scaremongering by way of misinformation via the media really doesn't help anyone.
Basically what the BBC report is saying is "Switch browsers or your doomed!!!".
Switching browsers of course is a sensible option to take, but I've already had 4 people call me this morning saying "OMG....!!!! Have you heard?. Don't use IE today, hurry.....!!!!......switch browsers to a thing called Firefox, the BBC says you must...!!!!".
All a bit of a drama out of a crisis to be honest.
It's apparently been exploited on legitimate sites via SQL injection too. There's a set of workarounds on Technet too.
Er, what? Are you implying that Firefox has more security flaws than IE (in which case, I'll have what you're smoking)?
Er, what? Are you implying that Firefox has more security flaws than IE (in which case, I'll have what you're smoking)?
Yes, as has been previously reported, and assuming a vanilla install on Windows Vista with UAC left alone, firefox has both more vunerabilities and wider attack possibilities should a vunerability be exploited.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Brow...rer-vs-Firefox-vs-Safari-vs-Opera-83045.shtml
Some bit older figures.
http://www.favbrowser.com/web-browsers-security-opera-internet-explorer-safari-firefox/
The fact that less people target firefox because it has a smaller user base, and that more firefox users will alter the out of the box settings and install add ons that may offer additional security (at the expense of functionality) is not relevant to the question.
There's lots of opinion about firefox being more secure, but it never seems to be backed up with a supportive qualitative analysis.
Vulnerability counting, that was garbage the last time you posted it. ISTR you even agreed then...
The lack of exploits like this, and the speed anything particularly serious gets fixed is probably a good start, but you could apply that argument to Opera as well.
What other quantative analysis do you offer for browser security comparison then? I've looked, and I can't find anything else, it's all qualitative opinion pieces that basically say "I feel safer with firefox" without providing any evidence to support it.
I REALLY want to know what #4 is!!!
It's serious business!
I'm not offering any (other than the second part of my post; if you dig, there's statistics for how quickly Mozilla gets users to the latest, ergo more secure, version). What rigorous analysis are you offering that shows IE is targeted purely for its popularity or that it is less vulnerable than Firefox, or that Opera is more secure than both?
Counting vulnerabilities between two closed-source vendors and an open-source vendor that basically publishes everything is hardly a fair comparison, and we've been down this path already...