Microsoft Issues Fix for Internet Explorer Zero Day

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A new Microsoft patch is available for Windows systems that fixes a security issue in it’s Internet browser Internet Explorer. Patches are available for Windows 7 to Windows 10, as well as Server 2008 and 2019. For users with Windows Update, you should already be covered. If you’re using Windows 10, you can force it to check for updates by going to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click Check for Updates.

Make sure to get your systems patched ASAP to avoid this issue. The exploit is already being used in the wild.

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.

In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit the vulnerability through Internet Explorer and then convince a user to view the website, for example, by sending an email.

The security update addresses the vulnerability by modifying how the scripting engine handles objects in memory.