Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, already not the most popular browser among users, was discovered to have a flaw that will allow hackers to hijack PCs remotely. The company has already issued a fix for it and is urging users to update the browser even if it’s not their default internet surfing tool.
Discovered by Google’s Threat Analysis Group, the memory corruption flaw can be exploited by simply enticing an unsuspecting user to visit a website made to exploit it. Upon visiting the malicious site, the hacker gains the same user rights as the actual user of the affected PC.
They are then free to view, add or remove data, which will likely lead to the installation of malicious programs such as backdoors. This vulnerability affects Internet Explorer (IE) 11 for Windows 7 8, 8.1 and 10, as well as IE9 and IE10 on specific versions of Windows Server.
As the fix is already out, you should be protected from this flaw if you allow Windows Update to freely apply them.
