ALARM Group ALERT ¿ click for a description of ALARM, The Computing Alert System Alert Number:  120105-01 Alert Date:  11/1/05 Alert Title:  Microsoft Updates security information to address Internet Explorer Exploit Update-to:   112205-01 "Microsoft releases security advisory to address Internet Explorer Exploit" OS/Platform/Application: Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Internet Explorer 6 (including Service Pack 1) on Microsoft Windows XP Service Packs 1 and 2 Internet Explorer 6 on Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Internet Explorer 6 on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (including Service Pack 1) Internet Explorer 6 on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems (including Service Pack 1) Internet Explorer 6 on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Internet Explorer 5.5 Service Pack 2 on Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 on Microsoft Windows 98, on Microsoft Windows 98 SE, and Millennium Edition Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 4 on Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Category:  UPDATE Severity:  HIGH Attention:  Windows System Administrators, Desktop Support Personnel, Users of above-listed version of MS Internet Explorer

Summary:  On November 29 2005 Microsoft updated its security advisory 911302 and also its Malicious Software Encyclopedia to provide additional information about a vulnerability that affects certain **fully-patched** windows systems that utilize the popular Internet Explorer web browser.  The new information acknowledges the existence of malicious software that exploits the vulnerability and offers an additional workaround option (as of this writing a patch has not net been released by the vendor).

Recommended Actions:  System Administrators and support personnel are encouraged to read the updated version of security advisory 911302 (link provided below) and also the Malicious Software Encyclopedia (link provided below) for more insight into the status of the vulnerability, details of infection/exploitation, and also the option of using Microsoft's Windows Live Safety Center as a method of system compromise detection/remediation.