Microsoft Web Browser Security Bug Could Impact Millions of Users

Microsoft issued a security advisory on Saturday warning users of a vulnerability in its Internet Explorer web browser that could allow malicious "remote code execution."

The vulnerability affects all versions of the browser and, as of this writing, there is no patch available to fix the issue.

Revealing the vulnerability on its website, Microsoft stated:

The vulnerability exists in the way that Internet Explorer accesses an object in memory that has been deleted or has not been properly allocated. The vulnerability may corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user within Internet Explorer. An attacker could host a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit this vulnerability through Internet Explorer and then convince a user to view the website.

FireEye, the security firm taking credit for finding the vulnerability, posted a notice on its website alerting users to the issue. "Threat actors are actively using this exploit in an ongoing campaign which we have named 'Operation Clandestine Fox,'” reads the statement on FireEye's website.

Security firm Symantec issued its own alert regarding the issue, highlighting the fact that Windows XP users are particularly susceptible, stating, " especially XP users are not safe anymore and this is the first vulnerability that will be not patched for their system."

This last point is no small issue as Microsoft officially ended support for Windows XP earlier this month, which means no more security updates for the millions still using the operating system.

According to NetMarketshare, Internet Explorer accounts for roughly 58% of the world's desktop browsers.

At present, the safest option might be to use another browser until Microsoft issues a security patch.

For its part, Microsoft says that at the completion of its investigation it will "take the appropriate action to protect our customers, which may include providing a solution through our monthly security update release process, or an out-of-cycle security update, depending on customer needs."

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What Microsoft's Takeover of Your Car Will Look Like

Microsoft gave developers a close up and personal look at its plans for Windows at last week's Build conference.

Buried amid all the excitement around Cortana and other developments was a sneak peek at the company's in-car operating system concept.

Presented by Steve Teixeira of Microsoft's developer division, the system bears a striking resemblance to Apple's recently unveiled CarPlay system. The four-minute presentation (watch above) showed off what Teixeira described as a projection of your phone's screen onto your dashboard display.

Included in the Windows in-car system menu are options to access maps, make telephone calls, send text messages, listen to music and view your automobile's diagnostic information. There's also a dedicated menu that allows you to view all your apps on one screen.

Another screen showed a panel that allows the driver to see how many miles he has driven, how many miles are left until service is due, the current weather and shareable data detailing the overall driving efficiency of your last trip. Teixeira also walked through live demos showing how the system can make a phone call and how the system handles maps.

According to Teixeira, part of the development of the system included a full wraparound driving simulator with eye tracking, allowing the testers to detect where drivers are looking while they're driving in the simulator.

Safety while using the in-car system seems to be an point of emphasis for Microsoft. For example, Teixeira indicated that the developer tools for the system will be geared toward allowing developers to build apps that conform with safe driving standards.

Details regarding the commercial name for the system or a release date were not revealed. Nevertheless, the demonstration was robust enough to prove that Microsoft's mobile efforts — like Apple, Ford, Android and others -– are targeting the car as the next frontier for mobile development.

VIDEO: YOUTUBE, MICROSOFT/ICLARIFIED

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Microsoft Announces Windows 8.1 Update

Microsoft announced a significant update to Windows 8.1 today at the company's Build developer conference in San Francisco. The update will be available as an automatic update to all Windows 8.1 users on April 8.

The update is centered mainly on mouse-and-keyboard setups: desktops and laptops. The taskbar — long a hallmark of the Windows desktop — gains new prominence with the update. It's now visible in Modern (aka "Metro") apps when a user moves the mouse cursor to the bottom of the screen.

Users can also pin Modern apps to the taskbar, and the Windows Store is pre-pinned with the update — both to alert users about the capability and to increase the discoverability of Modern apps.

The Start screen has some more features, too. Right-clicking on a live tile will call up a drop-down menu instead of the "ribbon" along the bottom. There are also notifications for freshly installed apps, which are marked with a clear label "New."

The new version of Windows includes improvements to Internet Explorer, which will give IT managers more tools to customize capabilities. That way, some legacy enterprise systems will now be compatible with Windows 8.1.

The Windows 8.1 Update, announced in conjunction with Windows Phone 8.1, comes just five months after the previous major upgrade, Windows 8.1 itself. Although Microsoft announced Windows 8.1 in June last year, it didn't debut until October.

Wednesday's update leaked last month when Microsoft put the software on an unsecured server, but with non-obvious filenames. By tricking their systems into thinking they were Microsoft employees, outsiders were able to obtain the files and install the update.

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Microsoft May Be Getting Ready for a Huge Windows 8.1 Flip-Flop

It looks like Microsoft is ready to cry uncle on Windows 8. Since its launch in fall 2012, Windows 8 (and later 8.1) has defaulted to show the Start screen — the touch-friendly modern environment — first. Now, a pair of reports suggests Microsoft will soon update Windows to launch into the traditional desktop.

Screenshots of the supposed Windows 8.1 update for 2014 appeared on a Russian website, reported by Business Insider, and the person who posted them claims that, after installation, the new OS boots into the desktop. The Verge claims to have confirmed the findings, with sources revealing the forthcoming update will indeed make the desktop the default.

If true, the move would represent an about-face on Windows 8/8.1, if not an altogether surprising one.

Even before it officially launched, Windows 8 has been criticized for its bifurcated approach to computing, delivering both a traditional computing environment for mouse-and-keyboard setups as well as touch-friendly interface on the same machine.

In Windows 8.1, Microsoft introduced new features intended to appease critics, such as the option to make the desktop the default, the ability to share the same desktop background between the desktop and modern environments, and the infamous return of the Start button.

Critics still hammered Microsoft for misguided strategy, and the update did nothing to slow the the decline of the PC market, which fell 6.4% in the fall quarter. By comparison, Apple's Mac sales have increased 19% year-over-year.

While Microsoft isn't throwing out its new operating system with the bathwater, changing the default to the desktop is essentially an admission that it moved too fast in blending touch into its traditional Windows OS. After the change, many will watch closely how it affects interest in Windows 8 as a platform.

Although Windows RT isn't mentioned in either report, it's unlikely the change would apply to those devices. In the Windows RT 8.1 update, Microsoft even took away the desktop icon on the Start screen for Windows RT tablets, emphasizing their touch-first nature. That wouldn't make much difference to the platform, since most manufacturers apart from Microsoft and Nokia (which will soon be the same company) have abandoned Windows RT.

It's unclear if Intel-based Windows devices that are considered "tablets first" would be affected by the change.

Image: KIN CHEUNG/ASSOCIATED PRESS

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