Hackers are exploiting an unpatched vulnerability in Microsoft Video Active X Control to target Internet Explorer users.
The affected component is part of Microsoft DirectShow, and is installed by default with Windows XP. The company said it was already aware of attacks that were exploiting the vulnerability.
Security vendor Symantec said that thousands of websites had been compromised and were now hosting the exploit.
Attackers could exploit the flaw by leading a user to visit a malicious website. Hackers could then silently install code on the victim’s computer.
If the hacker is successful, they could install a backdoor to the system, stealing credentials and confidential information.
Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP users with Internet Explorer 6 and 7 were at risk. Symantec said the exploit in the wild did not yet work on Internet Explorer 8, but claimed that it was possible to “trigger” the vulnerability through it.
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Posted: Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Tags: IE, Security
Filed Under: Security | Comments Off
China’s ambitions to strengthen control of the Internet with filtering software became a show of the limits of its power on Wednesday, as activists and industry groups welcomed AN abrupt delay of the contentious plan.
The surprise climbdown was reported late on Tuesday by Xinhua news agency, which said the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology would “delay the mandatory installation of the controversial ‘Green Dam-Youth Escort’ filtering software on new computers”.
Officials said the software was intended to stamp out Internet pornography, and computer companies had originally been told that from Wednesday they had to bundle “Green Dam” with any personal computers heading to stores for sale in the country.
But the order was assailed by opponents of censorship, industry groups and Washington officials as rash, politically intrusive, technically ineffective and commercially unfair. PC companies have mostly avoided making firm public statements on the issue.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSPEK13838120090701
Posted: Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Tags: Censorhsip, China
Filed Under: China | Comments Off