It's not often that the US or UK governments weigh in on the
browser wars, but a new Internet Explorer vulnerability -- one that
affects all major versions of the browser from the past decade -- has
forced them to raise an alarm: Stop using IE.
The zero-day
exploit -- the term given to a previously unknown, unpatched flaw --
allows attackers to install malware on your computer without your
permission. That malware could be used to steal personal data, track
online behavior, or gain control of the computer. Security firm FireEye,
which discovered the bug, said that the flaw is being used with a known Flash-based exploit technique to attack financial and defense organizations in the US via Internet Explorer 9, 10, and 11. Those versions of the browser run on Microsoft's Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8, although the exploit is present in Internet Explorer 6 and above.