Microsoft Corporation broke its patch Tuesday cycle
falling on second Tuesday of every month, to release
a fix for the critical and widely exploited VML vulnerability
in Internet Explorer. Security Experts at the AntiVirus
and Content Security firm, MicroWorld Technologies,
urge computer users to go for an immediate update
of the Explorer patch.
The patch released yesterday can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms06-055.mspx.
It plugs the remote code execution vulnerability in
the Vector Markup Language (VML), when a smartly crafted
webpage with VML containing a long "fill"
inside a "rect" tag is displayed in IE.
Microsoft was under pressure as the number of websites
hosting malicious exploits for the vulnerability grew
multifold while scamsters sent out spoof ecards leading
users to many sites that dropped Keyloggers into user
computers via the flaw.
“The potential risk level of a vulnerability
depends on multiple factors than the mere gravity
of the software flaw,” says Govind Rammurthy
CEO, MicroWorld Technologies. “Different attack
vectors, availability of the exploit code, the amount
of user interaction required for a successful penetration
and the level of organizing and coordination displayed
in the attack, all contribute towards how serious
the threat can become within a short span of time.
In that sense, this VML vulnerability had all the
right ingredients to make you dash for cover.”
An imminent possibility of changing vectors and targets
loomed in the form of mass mailing attacks aiming
at Outlook and Outlook Express, both using IE’s
rendering mechanisms to preview emails. It meant the
attacker can compromise and takeover a remote computer
with little or no action from the victim’s side.
In the mean time, a security group named Zero Day
Emergency Response Team (ZERT) offered an unofficial
patch for the vulnerability, presenting users with
the tough choice between perils of a critical browser
vulnerability and a possible software clash arising
from a third party component. The plot got thicker
with the second unofficial patch coming from a vulnerability
management firm, Patchlink.
The confusion now settles down with the release of
the Microsoft patch which blocks the hole in the risky
VML component, but not before raising serious questions
about the effectiveness, safety and legitimacy of
third party patches for vulnerabilities in software
applications.
MicroWorld Solutions eScan and MailScan were soon
updated with protection against the exploit code in
the wild named Exploit.HTML.VML, while also providing
workarounds for mitigating the threat. The security
firm protects its users with its fastest updating
Threat Detection and Prevention System, Advanced Behavioral
Analysis and the unique MWL technology. eScan and
MailScan also employ a Multi-pronged Spam Blocking
system to make sure that emails carrying malware do
not make it to user mailboxes. To prevent network
Intrusions, MicroWorld offers eConceal Firewall and
for best of breed spam protection, X-Spam.
“Be it large Enterprises or home users, two
major channels of malware proliferation are Web Access
and emails, amply displayed in the case of this exploit.
One needs to be extra careful in guarding these prime
conduits, as Virus writers and hackers find and force
errors via these routes to advance their cause. We
at MicroWorld combine some of the future defining
technologies to combat and prevent digital threats
in a continuous and consistent fashion, to ensure
that we leave nothing to chance,” says Sunil
Kripalani, Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing,
MicroWorld Technologies.
MicroWorld
MicroWorld (www.mwti.net
) is the developer of the world's first Real-Time
Anti-Virus and Content Security software eScan
for desktops and servers. Its communication security
software,
MailScan is the first comprehensive e-mail
scanner for your SMTP/POP3 Mail Server. MicroWorld
Winsock Layer (MWL) is the revolutionary technology
underlying these products, powering them to several
certifications and awards by some of the most prestigious
testing bodies, notable among them being Virus Bulletin,
Checkmark, TUCOWS, Red Hat Ready, and Novell Ready.
Combining their powerful scanner with MWL technology,
MicroWorld solutions provide a Real-Time Proactive
security for your systems. For network security of
enterprises, eConceal Firewall is the latest powerful
offering from MicroWorld.
To learn more, kindly visit http://www.mwti.net.
