Problem with IE7

[Rik]

El Reg reports that:

Thousands of websites have been hit by fast-moving exploit code that installs a cocktail of nasty malware on visitors' computers by targeting a previously unknown vulnerability in some versions of Internet Explorer.

The compromised websites link to a series of servers that exploit a zero-day vulnerability in an IE component that processes media. The vulnerability affects those using the XP and 2003 versions of Windows, Microsoft warned in this advisory.

"An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user," company security representatives wrote. "When using Internet Explorer, code execution is remote and may not require any user intervention."

More than 1,000 websites have been compromised so they include links that redirect users to sites that exploit the vulnerability, according to this translation of an advisory from CSIS. The warning said Windows 2000 was also vulnerable to the attacks, contrary to Microsoft's write-up, which explicitly said 2000 was not affected.

[Glenn]

A reason to use Vista 

What isn't in dispute is that IE 7 on Vista is not vulnerable, presumably because ActiveX objects are blocked by default, according to this blog entry from McAfee researchers Haowei Ren and Geok Meng Ong.

[Simon]

A reason to use Vista 

A reason to use Firefox.   

[Rik]

Seconded.

[Den]

A reason to use IE8 and Vista IMO 

[quandam]

A reason to use IE8 and Vista IMO 

Agreed!

[Sebby]

Seconded.

Thirded!

[Sebby]

A reason to use IE8 and Vista IMO 

There's no reason to use IE8 or Vista.

[Den]

Why not    IE8 is better than IE7 and so far better than Firefox IMO and Vista is safer than XP 

[Sebby]

It's better than IE7, I'll give you that, but no way does it even come close to Firefox. Vista is safer than XP, yes, but it's also significantly more bloated. Swings and roundabouts.

[Lance]

Maybe we need a poll with just the two runners, phased "if you had to use a browser which would it be?"

[Rik]

Netscape.