According to a PC World bulletin issued today (2/22/2014), two hacker groups have seriously compromised Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers running Internet Explorer 10 (IE10). Microsoft says Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) is also vulnerable.
Microsoft plans to issue a patch, probably on the next regularly-scheduled Patch Tuesday, which is March 11.
In the meantime, there are three ways you can protect your computer.
- The easiest way is to use another browser, such as Chrome or Firefox.
- If you’re running Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, upgrade to Internet Explorer 11, which is not vulnerable. Go here: http://windows.microsoft.com/
en-us/internet-explorer/ie-11- worldwide-languages - Microsoft offers a Fixit Tool, which doesn’t actually fix IE9 or IE10, but blocks the attack. You can get it here: https://support.microsoft.com/
kb/2934088#FixItForMe
Although the number of attacks have so far been small, the vulnerability is now widely known, so protecting your system is strongly advised.
P.S. You can determine which version of Internet Explorer is installed by going here: http://windows.microsoft.com/