In this day and age, one really shouldn’t be using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer as their default browser anymore. Things are so bad that even the company that made it suggests using something else. And now, it looks like a new issue with it has been discovered.
Microsoft has confirmed that hackers are actively exploiting the security flaw affecting the browser. The company also says that this affects all versions of Windows, including Windows 7, which will no longer be updated. The nature of the vulnerability lies with the way Internet Explorer handles memory.
TechCrunch reports that the Firefox browser had a similar vulnerability. Mozilla has since updated the browser with a patch, and has urged its users to update it. Both Microsoft and Mozilla credited Chinese security company Qihoo 360 for discovering the vulnerability on their respective browsers.
Though, oddly enough, none of the three companies have disclosed the way the vulnerability is being exploited, who are the hackers exploiting it, or who they are targeting. Also, Microsoft appears to has no immediate plans to fix this Internet Explorer bug. Instead, a patch for this vulnerability will only come with February’s batch of security updates.
At any rate, you should just use another browser that’s not Internet Explorer, even after Microsoft fixes this particular bug. The aforementioned Firefox is a good example, as is the ever popular Chrome browser. Even if you must use something from Microsoft, the company has the newer, and much better, Chromium-based Edge browser.
(Source: TechCrunch)
