Security experts warn of IE6 flaw

Security experts have warned of a new vulnerability in Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6.

The US Computer Emergency Response Team (US-Cert) said that the flaw lies in the way the browser handles attempted cross-site scripting attacks.

When code is embedded within a specially crafted HTML document, the security protections will not function properly, leaving the user open to attack.

US-Cert believes that an attacker could execute a cross-domain scripting attack and steal cookies and security credentials without any warning to the user.

McAfee researcher Yichong Lin explained that the vulnerability was first disclosed in a Chinese security publication known as Pstzine.

Lin noted that a similar concept, known as Ghost Pages, has previously been discussed by researchers.

While there is no currently available fix for the vulnerability, Firefox and Internet Explorer 7 are protected from the attack.

McAfee and US-Cert recommend that IE6 users upgrade to the latest version of the browser to avoid infection. Users who do not wish to upgrade are advised to disable scripting.

See also:

Microsoft offers advice on SQL injection

Company recommends tools and best practices to prevent attacks  26 Jun 2008

Microsoft reissues June security fix

Redmond takes second crack at Bluetooth flaw  21 Jun 2008

Experts warn of security-dodging Trojans

New malware on the rampage  06 Jun 2008

Microsoft warns of Safari for Windows hole

Hackers could 'carpet bomb' the user's desktop  05 Jun 2008

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