Internet Explorer flaw threat hits the roof. *Stop using it right now*

[Wonk]

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5517457.html

Three unpatched flaws in Internet Explorer now pose a higher danger, a security company warned, after code to exploit one of the issues was published to the Internet.

(snip)

Exploit code for one of the vulnerabilities, a flaw in an HTML Help control, was published on the Internet on Dec. 21 in an advisory by GreyHats Security Group.

"In order for us to rate a vulnerability as extremely critical, there has to be a working exploit out there and one that doesn't require user interaction," Kristensen said. "This is our highest rating and is the last warning for users to fix their systems."

(snip)

"Microsoft knew of this back in October," Kristensen said. "In my opinion, it's not fair to have a vulnerability known for two months without having an available patch, especially when every little detail (of the vulnerability) is out there."

more...

[liberalnurse]

1. If I do that.....

then I can't live on DU any more.......:scared:

[Placebo]

3. Get Firefox

http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

[w13rd0]

11. I concur...

[liberalnurse]

27. I'm at work at the moment and

do not have the liberty to switch. I did use Firefox at home but it just would not work with adobe; acrobat reader. I really needed to open up the pdf files and it would not cooperate.

[InvisibleBallots]

29. I use Firefox with Adobe Acrobat PDFs all the time

never had a problem with it.

[PDittie]

34. My Mozilla won't open.pdfs either

I have to use IE only for that.

Why is that? Am I doing something wrong?

[mr blur]

43. Bloody pdfs!

A real pain, they take forever to open in any browser. In Firefox go to Tools/Options/Downloads and under the File Types list just tell Firefox to download the pdf instead of opening it. It'll open much faster on your hard disc anyway.

[liberalnurse]

49. I was disappointed that I had to switch back to IE.

I really liked the layout and functions of Firefox. I understand the security is also an asset. Like I said earlier, that dang acrobat would not work with mine, I even went to the help resource blog but the convoluted matrix of fix-it dialog lost me.......I had to surrender.

[thinkingwoman]

52. if you can't get firefox to work

switch to netscape.

There's no reason to use IE

[Liberal In Texas]

54. Firefox can be a little daunting.

I'm glad my wife pioneered getting us on it, or I may have given up.

BUT, like anything worth doing, it has a bit of a learning curve.

It can be customized like crazy, lots of people are out there writing new themes and tabs you can integrate into your Firefox.

So, please don't give up entirely. Give it a little time and study what's going on. Read the forums etc.

I was very skeptical when my wife came up with this, but now I'm hooked.

[bowens43]

56. uninstall the adobe reader and then re-install the latest version.

after firefox has been installed. I don't know why, but it worked for me.

[Feron]

50. You need to install the plugin or....

install the full version of Acrobat.

[Liberal In Texas]

2. Use Firefox - much nicer and cool.

[eleny]

10. I just installed it!

I had the zipped file for a while and didn't install it until I read Wonk's posting. That did it. I never did install Service Pack 2 since hubby did on his computer and had some glitches. Enough is enough.

It looks good and even has the Links feature on the right side of the screen and imported all mine. YAY!!!

~Thanks for posting Wonk!~

[NuttyFluffers]

48. replace Outlook/Outlook Express with Thunderbird.

mozilla thunderbird is also a nice program. there are also other mail and newsgroup programs out there, so you do have your choice. i like thunderbird, just my preference at the moment (though if i find something better i'll switch).

but whatever you do dump your microsoft IE and OE. they are just bad programs. no sense endangering your sensitive information with a company that is not showing loyalty to you.

[benburch]

4. And while you are at it...

Replace your OS with Linux.

Or buy a Mac.

Windows is the antithesis of a secure and reliable OS, and I speak as a computing professional since 1977.

[AlbizuX]

9. I use Firefox

works like a charm, clean, no popups, etc.

I can't believe the ease of Internet use with this..

The only OCCASIONAL problem is that sometimes it has problems loading inbrowser video media player plugins, and crashes. But other than that...it's doing fine.

[Liberal In Texas]

12. It does crash a little more than I'd like it to...

but it's easy to recover the session (open tabs).

[eleny]

14. Uh-oh

Hubby is getting ready for our trip to the computer heaven store. I've got to check out the Macs. Last week Karel was saying that there was a rumor they were coming out with an under $500 machine.

I'll have to check and see if some of my favorite art softwares can be run on a Mac. We started with an Amiga 500 and moved on to PC. Feels like it's time to move on again.

[InvisibleBallots]

16. if you can afford a Mac, get one, they are great

and with their new OS they are better than ever.

If you want to buy a cheap PC, go ahead and spend $10 on a Linux disk and try it out, chances are it will do everything you need.

[benburch]

17. You can get a real bargain on an eMac...

I'm using one now. FAST, and they have a really nice 17" CRT.

[enough]

23. I love my eMac.

[bpilgrim]

19. RUMOR: Apple to drop sub-$500 Mac bomb at Expo

December 28, 2004 - With iPod-savvy Windows users clearly in its sights, Apple is expected to announce a bare bones, G4-based iMac without a display at Macworld Expo on January 11 that will retail for $499, highly reliable sources have confirmed to Think Secret.

The new Mac, code-named Q88, will be part of the iMac family and is expected to sport a PowerPC G4 processor at a speed around 1.25GHz. The new Mac is said to be incredibly small and will be housed in a flat enclosure with a height similar to the 1.73 inches of Apple's Xserve. Its size benefits will include the ability to stand the Mac on its side or put it below a display or monitor.

Along with lowering costs by forgoing a display (Apple's entry-level eMac sells for $799 with a built-in 17-inch CRT display), the so-called "headless" iMac will allow Apple's target audience -- Windows users looking for a cheap, second PC -- to keep their current peripherals or decide on their own what to pair with the system, be it a high-priced LCD display or an inexpensive display. Sources expect the device to feature both DVI and VGA connectivity, although whether this will be provided through dual ports or through a single DVI port with a VGA adapter remains to be seen.

more...
http://thinksecret.com/news/0412expo2.html

you can't go wrong with a BRAND NEW MAC for under $500 :wow:

let's hope this rumor is true :bounce:

peace

[eleny]

42. Just got home and found the new postings

That sounds great! It would make the perfect computer to take travelling. Inexpensive and slim. So easy to store.

[jmowreader]

40. What are your favorite art software?

Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator both run on a Mac.
As do all the Macromedia stuff.

[eleny]

45. I'm a PhotoImpact user

I've used it since one of the earliest versions and also was a beta tester. PS has always been a bear for me to learn so I avoided it. But if that's what works on a Mac, then so be it!

I appreciate your letting me know all this since I never looked into it before this. Seems like if it can use PS, Illustrator and Macromedia - what more could a person need?!

[alfredo]

64. For you that cannot afford Photoshop, get GIMP it runs on

the Mac, Windows, and All the Nix's It's not as powerful as Photoshop, but it is very good, and free.

Check out Scribus and Inkscape.

[bpilgrim]

18. Mac OS X - Most secure environment =)

Deep study: The world's safest computing environment

news alert

London, UK - 2 November 2004, 02:30 GMT - The most comprehensive study ever undertaken by the mi2g Intelligence Unit over 12 months reveals that the world's safest and most secure 24/7 online computing environment - operating system plus applications - is proving to be the Open Source platform of BSD (Berkley Software Distribution) and the Mac OS X based on Darwin. This is good news for Apple Computers(AAPL) whose shares have outperformed the benchmark NASDAQ, S&P and Dow indices as well as Microsoft (MSFT) by over 100% in the last six months on the back of revived sales and profits. The last twelve months have witnessed the deadliest annual period in terms of malware - virus, worm and trojan - proliferation targeting Windows based machines in which over 200 countries and tens of millions of computers worldwide have been infected month-in month-out.

source...
http://www.mi2g.com/cgi/mi2g/frameset.php?pageid=http%3A//www.mi2g.com/cgi/mi2g/press/021104.php

peace

[proud2BlibKansan]

37. I have a MAC and I use Internet Explorer

Do I need to worry about anything? I don't really understand this issue.

[benburch]

39. Unlikely that you need to worry.

No doubt there are similar holes in Mac IE, but it is very unlikely that the thugs who write viruses know enough about a mac to exploit them.

But it couldn't hurt to switch browsers. Mozilla, Firefox, Omniweb, and Safari are all good choices.

[proud2BlibKansan]

57. Thanks

I have been looking into this.

[Wapsie B]

5. Other than monkey see, monkey do

I don't know why anyone uses IE. What in the world are they doing at Microsoft?

[complain jane]

6. I agree with both the Firefox suggestion and/or buying a Mac.

I just came home from CompUSA. I saw the new iMac. Very cool. Then 20" is enormous.

[madrchsod]

7. if there is a problem in firefox

it would take no more than one to two days to fix. it takes weeks for the kids at microshit to figure out how it happened and then weeks to fix it.

[Liberal In Texas]

8. And apparently months to report it. n/t

[TreasonousBastard]

13. Been using Opera and Eudora for years now...

since version 3 of each, and never had the slightest problem.

There was a small hole in one version of Opera 7, but they fixed it in a few days.

Active-x and buffer overflows... when will they learn.

I don't EVER turn on Active-X, and if a page needs it, well, screw 'em. There's always another web page.

[idiosyncratic]

51. I also use Opera and Eudora. Opera is the BEST browser.

I've tried Firefox, but Opera is so much more sophisticated, and you get everything in one download. You don't have to add extensions to get more features.

Opera is infinitely customizable and very secure.

I never use Internet Exploder.

[InvisibleBallots]

15. www.mozilla.org

http://www.mozilla.org/firefox - you have no excuse.

[elehhhhna]

21. if i download it, how do I 'turn off" the other browser?

i'm serious.

[Liberal In Texas]

24. DON'T TURN OFF OR UN-INSTALL IE

For some reason Window will not operate properly if you uninstall IE.
Just don't use it. Make Firefox your default browser.

IE will sit there if you ever need it, but on 99.9% of stuff you won't have to use it.

[elehhhhna]

36. next dumb Q: How do I make it my default browser? Thanks

i am the anti-bill gates, obviously.

[Liberal In Texas]

38. Default Browser

In Firefox go to the "Compact Menu" click on that then "Tools" at the bottom "Options"
Top of Options is "General" Click on that.
Then about 2/3's down check Default Browser.
As I remember when you try to open something you'll get a query about making Firefox default. Select yes and don't ask me again.

[elehhhhna]

59. THANK YOU THANK YOU!

[jmowreader]

47. Why Windows won't operate properly

Microsoft has used Internet Explorer as the front end to Windows since Win98.

[havocmom]

25. I put Mozilla on and talked hubby into trying Firefox & Thunderbird mail

I was convinced about Mozilla but he wanted to keep IE until he was sure he wanted to use Firefox (we do a his/hers thing with browsers) He used Firefox 2 days, put the Thunderbird mail program on for 2 days then just uninstalled IE.

Took a bit of time to tweak the plug-ins for video and web radio, but it is SOOOO worth it! No pop-ups, fast little sucker to load, tabbed browser is great when you are bouncing from site to site for research, and I don't have to continually put patches on like with IE! I love the themes you can download to change the look of the thing too. Way cool! The cookie options, pop-up manager to allow for sites where you need them to work, and form manager tool are easy to tailor to your liking. I am no techie and it makes me feel pretty comfy to be able to tweak to my liking!

I love the tabbed browsing and the easy way I can configure Mozilla to suit my needs. The mail program that comes with Mozilla is really nice, has very easy to use filters... most junk mail goes bye-bye before I have to look at it on my inbox index. I created files for vendor stuff for the companies I buy online from so their promo emails go right to there and don't clutter up the inbox. I love the color flags so I can find things from my daughter fast... it is just great!

Try Mozilla or Firefox out. If you like it, uninstall IE. May be a bit of time to get it all sorted out, but believe me, if I can do it, ANYBODY can! :D

[Liberal In Texas]

26. Unless your a real computer whiz, leave IE alone.

It can be uninstalled, but hardly anyone recommends it.

Google: Firefox, IE, uninstall....GROUPS.

It is so woven into the OS you'll probably get something messed up. The best thing is to just not use it.

[havocmom]

32. Uninstalled it months ago. Everything works just fine.

Only problem is when the cat plays on the keyboard.

[Liberal In Texas]

53. You must be a computer whiz

or very darn lucky.
I wouldn't try it. I'm not that smart.

[gollygee]

20. That just convinced me - just got Firefox

that's it. No more ie.

[Trajan]

22. I have been using the SBC Yahoo DSL browser ....

Which I think is IE in fancy clothes ....

I just downloaded Firefox ... will give it a try ....

It blocked DU's pop up ... that's a good start ....

~waggles~ His eyebrows ....

(Shhhhhhhh ... Dont tell Skinner ..... )

[Wiley50]

28. Problem with FireFox?

I dl'd and set it up but the bookmarks that I want to load into it are in a file on my HD. It only allows to import from IE or Netscape.
Don't want to import the bookmarks that are on IE as I share this computer and those bookmarks aren't mine.
Can anyone help?

Wiley

[Liberal In Texas]

30. Unfortunately

you need to import the IE bookmarks and if you don't want some go through and delete them.

[InvisibleBallots]

31. Sure, it's easy - go to Bookmarks -> Manage Bookmarks

Then go File->Import and select "From file".

[ezod]

33. Firefox

[TheWebHead]

46. I like firefox... but

it sucks with embedded media.. it don't work with LAUNCH or MTV video

[KoKo]

35. Netscape and Real Audio....Don't all fall on the floor laughing at once...

But, I've never had a problem with worms/viruses or whatever since 1996 when I first logged on... Netscape/Real Audio (yeah I hate all the ads and things) and I still have IE but it's NOT my "DEFAULT" viewer.. :shrug:

[AnnInLa]

62. I'm not laughing, I agree!

Have been using Netscape 7.1 for quite a while and am thrilled with it, after years of issues with IE. No error messages whatsoever, no popups, works fine with AVG and ZA...never a problem. If Firefox has a learning curve, I'd probably better stick with Netscape.

[ReverendDeuce]

41. Used Mozilla since beta, use Firefox now... IE is teh suck.. n/t

n/t

[cruadin]

44. Another vote here for Firefox---best browser out there.

[LeftyMom]

55. Thanks for the info

I have had a good time playing around with Firefox. Takes a little adjusting but it's pretty cool. :)

[BikeWriter]

58. So why not use Zone Alarm with it? n/t

[Wonk]

60. kick nt

[Ms. Clio]

61. This post and thread convinced me to finally install my Firefox DL

I am very very happy I did.

There are a couple of things I miss from IE, but the added peace of mind more than compensates for them.

Microsoft better wise up, or they are going to lose out.

[fujiyama]

63. I tried Mozilla for a while

and thought it was great, except for one thing - I couldn't get the mouse wheel to work very well. I know there was some sort of plug in and I d/l ed it, but it still wasn't quite as smooth.

If the scroll wheel worked better, I'd definetely switch and not look back.