Slashdot Mirror
Internet Explorer Exploit Steals Data From Windows Users-- Even If They Never Use Internet Explorer (mashable.com)
Security researcher John Page has revealed a new zero-day exploit that allows remote attackers to exfiltrate Local files using Internet Explorer. "The craziest part: Windows users don't ever even have to open the now-obsolete web browser for malicious actors to use the exploit," reports Mashable. "It just needs to exist on their computer..."
[H]ackers are taking advantage of a vulnerability using .MHT files, which is the file format used by Internet Explorer for its web archives. Current web browsers do not use the .MHT format, so when a PC user attempts to access this file Windows opens IE by default. To initiate the exploit, a user simply needs to open an attachment received by email, messenger, or other file transfer service...
Most worrisome, according to Page, is that Microsoft told him that it would just "consider" a fix in a future update. The security researcher says he contacted Microsoft in March before now going public with the issue. As ZDNet points out, while Internet Explorer usage makes up less than 10 percent of the web browser market, it doesn't particularly matter in this case as the exploit just requires a user to have the browser on their PC.
Most worrisome, according to Page, is that Microsoft told him that it would just "consider" a fix in a future update. The security researcher says he contacted Microsoft in March before now going public with the issue. As ZDNet points out, while Internet Explorer usage makes up less than 10 percent of the web browser market, it doesn't particularly matter in this case as the exploit just requires a user to have the browser on their PC.
Over 20 years since IE started coming bundled with Windows in a deeply integrated manner. There will be outbreaks of IE malware for years due to the fact so many buisnesnesses only supported IE as their web browser. The same thing will happen with the widespread adoption of chromium instead of developing multiple independant browsers to ensure web diversity. Now Mo$Illa had been bribed to downgrade their browser we are now in the era of adverbrowsers and will contain more ways to attack your browser due to the constant bloat being added to them. Prepare for the Wannacry decade powered by ChromIE.
If you are dealing with tens of thousands of users and you haven't already blocked potentially malicious file attachment types (or in this case you would have had to unblock them as this is a default blocked one) then you are simply a fail admin and really should be sacked.