IE6 flaw puts Windows XP users at risk

[Noreen]

Microsoft is scrambling to patch an Internet Explorer flaw that was used to hack into Google's corporate networks last month.

The attack was used to hack into networks at 34 companies, including Adobe, security experts say. Typically such hacks involve several such attacks, but the IE bug is the only one definitively linked to the hacking incident, which security experts say originated in China.

In a security advisory released on Thursday, Microsoft said IE 6 users on Windows XP are most at risk from the flaw, but that other users could be affected by modified versions of the attack.

Microsoft said it is developing a fix, but it did not say when it expects to patch the issue. The company is slated to release its next set of security updates on February 9.......................

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3210286

[Steve]

Interesting google is accusing the chinese government of sanctioning these attacks, I think users should be assured that the attacks were targeted and limited. I don't think chinese would be after any of my intellectual property.

[Rik]

I don't know that I have any.

[Den]

Is any one still using IE6 

[Steve]

Its on a lot of public sector machines.

[Den]

Why 

[Rik]

Because lots of software was written to work specifically with it's non-standard spec, Den. Firms can't be bothered to spend the money on re-writing their code.

[Den]

But they could move up to IE7 or 8 and in most cases it would still work 

[Rik]

No, IE6 was a very peculiar beast, Den, and coders had to write stuff especially to get it to work. We have a bunch of special code on the forum to deal with it, for example.

[zappaDPJ]

Around 8% of user traffic to my sites are still using IE6 and that seems to be in keeping with most net browsing. I've noticed in the last few months that some vendors have started to drop support for it but I know that has been quite detrimental to their sales figures. IE6 is a pain in the backside but as Rik has said, many organisations have ploughed a huge amount of money into bespoke applications that require IE6 so I'm sure it'll be around for sometime to come unfortunately.

[Glenn]

The only browser supported at work is IE6, several of the programs that they use, will not work with other versions. If we find FF or IE7 or above, we are instructed to remove it.