Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Major IE8 Flaw Makes "Safe" Sites Unsafe

Posted by kdawson on from the keep-your-scripts-to-yourself dept.

After this weekend's report of a dangerous flaw in IE (which Microsoft confirmed today), intrudere points out an exclusive report in The Register on a new hole in IE8 that could allow an attacker to pull off cross-site scripting attacks on Web sites that ought, by rights, to be safe from XSS. This is according to two anonymous sources, who told El Reg that Microsoft had been notified of the vulnerability a few months ago.

11 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. See, Microsoft is right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    IE8 is compatible with sites designed for IE6. You won't see other browsers going the extra mile like this.

  2. Breaking News by BeaverAndrew · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh my gosh! Internet explorer is not safe to use? This is incredible hot, breaking news to me.

    1. Re:Breaking News by palegray.net · · Score: 5, Funny
      I must dispute your view in the strongest terms possible. Internet Explorer is perfectly safe for everyday use. However, as there is no such thing as perfect security, you must take additional precautions to keep evil hackers away from your data. Apply these rules according to the sensitivity of your data, from least important to most:
      • Disconnect your computer from your local network. Download files on another computer, scan them for viruses, print them out, scan them into your Windows PC using ORC software, and then view the pages in IE.
      • Do the above, but have a priest onsite to bless each page individually before scanning it. This is an excellent deterrent against viruses with the word "demon" in the name.
      • Do the above, but encase your PC in acrylic and immerse it in a 10,000 gallon tank of holy water. Interact with it while wearing scuba gear.
      • Do the above, but put a lid on the tank and immerse it in the ocean. Interact with your PC via a submersible robot in the tank from from outside while wearing scuba gear.

      If you fail to follow these simple security guidelines, you can't blame Microsoft for the results.

      --
      512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
    2. Re:Breaking News by dkleinsc · · Score: 3, Funny

      You forgot to do something to filter out those pages with the Evil Bit set (see RFC 3514).

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
    3. Re:Breaking News by lorenlal · · Score: 3, Funny

      No no no... I think he's on to something there.

  3. Re:In other news by palegray.net · · Score: 2, Funny

    Part of me wonders if perhaps these vulnerabilities aren't being made a big deal of because of the reputation of IE6. The rest of me which started using Firefox a long time ago just feels smug and superior.

    Dude, cutting yourself in half over a web browser seems a little extreme.

    --
    512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
  4. Re:In other news by selven · · Score: 2, Funny

    I agree, that is excessive. BTW, do you use vim or emacs? I want to know whether or not I should call the hit.

  5. Re:Ummm by lorenlal · · Score: 4, Funny

    Please go to the "a new hole in IE8" article.

    And if you're looking for the article to *read* it... yes, you are new here.

  6. New IE8 security feature. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    A New IE8 security feature... bug.... feature.... bug..... feature.... bug...... feature....bug.

  7. Re:In other news by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Yes, because we all know the omni-secure firefox NEVER has a security vulnerability. At least IE runs sandboxed."

    I think you are going overboard there. Just because Microsoft IE engineers have their head in the sand, that's no reason to call the whole project sandboxed. You inspired me to write a little one question deductive reasoning test, just for you:

    Q: The degree and number of IE security problems compared to Firefox is like:

    A) The number of people starving in Ethiopia compared to the number of people who couldn't Super-Size their McDonald's order today
    B) The death toll in a plane crash compared to the death toll in a skateboarding accident
    C) The pain involved in being shot in the stomach by a twelve gauge compared to the pain of a hangnail
    D) All of the above

    Good luck, and don't forget to phone a friend if possible!

    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  8. And the moral of this story is: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    "Friends don't let friends use Microsoft products without the services of a lawyer"

    or was it, "in Soviet Redmond, browser uses you"?