Good news for those who have already updated to Microsoft Windows 10. The emergency patch for Internet Explorer issued this week in an out-of-band update doesn’t affect the default browser released with that version of the operating system. However, those who use IE versions 7 through 11 on both clients and servers are vulnerable to a newly discovered remote code execution flaw on all other operating system versions going back to Windows Vista. Since Windows 10 does ship with a copy of IE 11, that will need to be addressed as well with the update.
The patch has been released per Microsoft Security Bulletin MS 15-093 and is considered critical for client versions and moderate for servers. If the automatic updates feature is enabled, the system should do this for you. If not, then take a look at available updates and perform the fix manually.
According to the bulletin, it can be exploited if a user views a specially crafted webpage the IE browser and hackers are taking advantage of it now. No user interaction is required for this hole to be opened.
A successful attacker could gain the same user rights as the system’s user. Those who have their accounts configured as administrators are the most at risk because this may allow the attacker to do a complete takeover of the compromised machine. Those whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights may have a little more protection. However, it is best to apply the patch immediately regardless of your level of rights.
If you do not need to have administrator rights on your computer, it’s best to set the levels lower for the authorized users. This can be found in the administrator tools in most Windows operating system versions.
For those in charge of business networks, if the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (Emet) is configured correctly, it will provide some protection against this attack. However, it is still advised that the patch be apply to corporate systems as soon as possible, as it is only considered a temporary mitigation solution.
For banks and credit unions
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