Internet Explorer may crash because of a new vulnerability

Microsoft is investigating a recently discovered vulnerability in IE6, capable of breaking down the browser as soon as users access a "malicious" web site.

Details of this security flaw were published via email last week by expert Michal Zalewski. " It doesn't surprise me, but it seems to be a very . very interesting and very vulnerable vulnerability inside Microsoft Internet Explorer ," he wrote.

Yesterday, security firm Secunia released a recommendation, whereby hackers could easily drill into the flaw to crack IE. It appears on both patched IE 6 and Windows XP with Service Pack 2.

According to a Microsoft representative, the company is investigating the vulnerability, and at this point, they "have not recorded any attacks exploiting the vulnerability ". If the investigation is complete, Microsoft may issue a recommendation or provide a patch via a monthly security bulletin.

Admit mistakes

On the same day, chairman Bill Gates admitted that IE no longer occupies the "supreme" position in Microsoft's web application platform strategy, although it is still quite important. Gates confessed that Microsoft had been wrongly waiting for the initiative to upgrade its browser technology.

" We have waited so long for a new browser, " Gate said in front of the auditorium, filled with designers and developers of today's most popular websites. " Microsoft has been immersed in the thought of considering the browser as the development platform ."

Microsoft intends to release updated versions of IE with thicker frequencies, perhaps from 9 months to a year. Gates also pledged " IE7 is not the last stop ".

The lack of attention to IE by Microsoft has become an opportunity for rivals like Firefox or Opera to rise, challenging IE's dominance in the browser village. But now Microsoft will "respond", Gates said.

IE7 will be integrated with a series of new initiatives to tighten security, more user-friendly, adding new technologies such as RSS (Minimal Synchronization). Now Microsoft is thinking of releasing - not one, but two new versions of IE. In particular, IE7 will be released widely later in the year, along with the new operating system Windows Vista. IE 7 version for Windows XP will also be released at the same time.

"Flirt" web development community

In order to entice the Web development community, which used to only use Adobe / Macromedia software along with Apple Computer hardware when developing Web sites and applications, Microsoft has used a variety of tactics.

An anonymous expert said Microsoft even had an impact on his company and paid him and his colleagues to attend the MIX06 forum. Microsoft also announced Microsoft Expression - the upcoming design toolkit and competes directly with Adobe's software.

Lynn Langit, founder and CEO of WebFLUENT, said that Microsoft is focusing on returning to IE to " establish a dominant position on the Web ", as it did in the desktop domain. Lynn also admitted that she was particularly impressed with IE7's compatibility.