AfterDawn: News

Microsoft tells users to drop Internet Explorer 6, XP too

According to a recent post on their Security Research and Defense blog, Microsoft has explained the the vulnerabilities of its Internet Explorer 6 Web browser, and encouraged users to upgrade to at least IE7, if not IE8.

The exploitable nature of IE6 came to public light after last week's attack of Google systems by Chinese hackers. Because IE6 is not available for Vista or Windows 7, it appears the company is also pushing users to upgrade to the latest OS as well.



Says the post: "As you can see, the client configuration currently at risk is Windows XP running IE6. We recommend users of IE6 on Windows XP upgrade to a new version of Internet Explorer and/or enable DEP. Users of other platforms are at reduced risk. We also recommend users of Windows XP upgrade to newer versions of Windows."

In all honesty they should just kill off IE6 and force corporate and educational institutions to upgrade to the newer versions. There is no reason IE6 should even be available, to anyone.



Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 20 Jan 2010 12:11

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• 23 comments

• ZippyDSM

  I smell the pew of BS being shoveled....

  20.1.2010 12:47 #1

• SProdigy

  If IE7 weren't broken out of the gates, I'm sure it would've been adopted much sooner, especially by institutions and corporations. My former company had to hold off on upgrading from IE6 for almost SIX MONTHS because many ActiveX and other IE compliant applications did not work with IE7 (and definitely the same, if not worse case with IE8) and companies such as SAP had to come up with patches for their applications to work!

  20.1.2010 13:05 #2

• Cassi1125

  I guess the virus that came via IE7 and trashed my computer over the weekend shows just how safe *that* browser is. Guess I'll blame it on using XP instead... (Too bad I can't charge MS for the wasted day wiping my drives and reinstalling everything from scratch.)

  20.1.2010 17:59 #3

• xnonsuchx

  I can understand the IE6 thing, but there's still little need to upgrade from XP for another few years or so.

  21.1.2010 00:51 #4

• Memnock

  Wow people are still using IE anything when Firefox, Opera or even Chrome being better options?

  21.1.2010 00:51 #5

• scum101

  Easier and cheaper to just drop M$ altogether... bye bye malware problems.
  

  Yes, we give you 100% free, no strings attached email! Just send us your address and we will send you as much free email as you could ever wish for

  21.1.2010 01:08 #6

• bmlshane

  How many remember all the screw-ups Microsloth have had, The various Dos systems, 95, 98, 98SE, Millennium (nuff said) 2000, XP with all the service packs and patches, Vista (shudder) and now 7 with patches etc appearing, lots of Vista systems came with a XP back-step, wise move, now that Vista is superseded, XP won't be supported much longer, but how good, stable etc is 7? Time will tell. I haven't used any of the explorer for a long time, never found them stable, and I"m using a Beta Firefox now, and find it excellent.

  21.1.2010 04:13 #7

• fgamer

  Do we really need to call Microsoft names? Sure they do some things bad...but their overall a decent company that dominates in certain areas of business.

  21.1.2010 04:46 #8

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by bmlshane: How many remember all the screw-ups Microsloth have had, The various Dos systems, 95, 98, 98SE, Millennium (nuff said) 2000, XP with all the service packs and patches, Vista (shudder) and now 7 with patches etc appearing, lots of Vista systems came with a XP back-step, wise move, now that Vista is superseded, XP won't be supported much longer, but how good, stable etc is 7? Time will tell. I haven't used any of the explorer for a long time, never found them stable, and I"m using a Beta Firefox now, and find it excellent.Windows 7 is a lot more stable than XP in my experience...especialy when compairing 64-bit versions.
  
  However, DEP always sucks. DEP is hardly a reason to upgrade from XP, as the first thing you do after the upgrade is to dissable DEP.

  21.1.2010 05:27 #9

• iz0nlee

  is there anyone who is trying to tell me that if MS were to disapeer altogether tomorrow, that the evil *******s who create these virus etc would not just go to the next most popular browser and destroy that too. I downloaded a firefox verson a while ago and was immediately informed not to use it, to download the next version that had been patched because of a security threat. since then I've stuck with the devil I know????

  21.1.2010 10:44 #10

• scum101

  
  
  

  Yes, we give you 100% free, no strings attached email! Just send us your address and we will send you as much free email as you could ever wish for

  21.1.2010 10:57 #11

• creaky

  LMAO at the sheep piccy.
  I still have a few XP machines and don't ever use IE so my IE installations are the default IE6. Just for a laugh today i was being lazy and renamed iexplore.exe to something else. Just like a virus or a trojan another iexplore.exe appeared straight away.
  
  On a serious note i use Firefox and yesterday even started dabbling with Google Chrome. Not overly keep with Chrome so Firefox will remain my main browser across all OSes/machines, but IE6/7/8 can go whistle.
  

  
  
  Main PC ~ Intel C2Q Q6600 (G0 Stepping)/Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3/2GB Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500/Zalman CNPS9700/Antec 900/Corsair HX 620W
  Network ~ DD-WRT ~ 2node WDS/WPA ~ Buffalo WHR-G54S. 4node WPA2/AES ~ WRT54GS v6 (inc. WEP BSSID), WRT54G v2, WRT54G v3.1, WRT54G2 v1, WRT54G v5. *** Forum Rules ***

  21.1.2010 11:54 #12

• scum101

  I'm almost purely on kazehakase or epiphany now because java is still a menace on a 64 debian box. I'm still thinking about having another dabble with opera.. liked that back when it and netscape were pretty much the only choices..
  
  applets are the big menace.. they just don't work, or when they load they fire up a security warning then crash.. typical.. the debian devs really know how to put off their long time loyal users.
  
  I thought the sheep was appropriate.. couldn't find a real ostrich with it's head in the sand... hehehehehe... same difference.. Das German Securitasi warn people to use NO microcrap browser.. and then people bleat about how M$ know better... of course M$ know better.. they want your money.. for them and their bloateware inefective anti malware partners.
  
  Listen to teh people who aren't after your cash.. they know best, and you can guarantee they let the report and advice out to their government first.
  
  Love the headline.. Microsux tells people to stop using their products.. yeah.. I did years ago... after getting sick to the back teeth with 98 I found feather.. and that was great on a k6.
  

  Yes, we give you 100% free, no strings attached email! Just send us your address and we will send you as much free email as you could ever wish for

  21.1.2010 12:04 #13

• HackYuji

  Microsoft can kiss my ass. Firefox<3

  21.1.2010 12:43 #14

• SProdigy

  Originally posted by creaky: LMAO at the sheep piccy.
  I still have a few XP machines and don't ever use IE so my IE installations are the default IE6. Just for a laugh today i was being lazy and renamed iexplore.exe to something else. Just like a virus or a trojan another iexplore.exe appeared straight away.
  That's because it's a protected operating system file. The same thing happens if you try to manually rename or delete wmplayer.exe I know it seems silly to us tech savvy, but think about it from the aspect of people that don't know how to copy/paste!

  21.1.2010 15:36 #15

• creaky

  Originally posted by SProdigy: That's because it's a protected operating system file. The same thing happens if you try to manually rename or delete wmplayer.exe I know it seems silly to us tech savvy, but think about it from the aspect of people that don't know how to copy/paste! Sorry, i'd forgotten to say that i knew of that behaviour, it was just an excuse to label iexplore.exe as a trojan or virus :P
  

  
  
  Main PC ~ Intel C2Q Q6600 (G0 Stepping)/Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3/2GB Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500/Zalman CNPS9700/Antec 900/Corsair HX 620W
  Network ~ DD-WRT ~ 2node WDS/WPA ~ Buffalo WHR-G54S. 4node WPA2/AES ~ WRT54GS v6 (inc. WEP BSSID), WRT54G v2, WRT54G v3.1, WRT54G2 v1, WRT54G v5. *** Forum Rules ***

  21.1.2010 17:29 #16

• calkid38

  Originally posted by fgamer: Do we really need to call Microsoft names? Sure they do some things bad...but their overall a decent company that dominates in certain areas of business. Your FUNNY, Got your Helmet and Crayons? Microcrap has been spoon fed to the public for how long now? My wife just had so many problems with it i put Linux on her PC. She loves IT. (MICROCRAP, wanted $65 Dollars from me to give me a new Code to REINSTALL WINDOWS, LIKE i never shelled out $300 for it in the first place) they can KISS MY BENDER! I DO ALL I CAN to not give them one penny of my hard Earned Money. It is just like, Buying a NEW car in today's World. THEY ARE MADE TO BREAK DOWN. LOOK AT THE PRODUCT SPECS, And their Updates CAUSE CRASHES ... Go buy a 1000GB hard drive so you can have 500GB in "CRUCIAL UPDATES" YEP after all these years I SAY, I CAN CALL Microcrap ANYTHING I WANT TO, AND "Microcrap" Is about the cleanest, Honest thing i can call them.

  22.1.2010 20:13 #17

• mscritsm

  The article's logic is backwards, this is not a push by Microsoft to get people to update. In my own personal experience, you can update IE to at least version 7 on XP. Just because you can't get IE6 on Vista or 7, it doesn't mean that IE can't be upgraded beyond IE6 on XP.

  22.1.2010 21:59 #18

• scum101

  BUT .. thye security warning though spun with BS by microcrap warns to use NO microcrap browser at all...
  
  so who is telling the truth.. the german security people, or microcrap who want you to upgrade, dump ie6.. and XP.. does that not tell you something??
  
  see above sheep picture for what I think of people who believe what companies with a product to sell say about the "safety" of their products.
  

  Yes, we give you 100% free, no strings attached email! Just send us your address and we will send you as much free email as you could ever wish for

  22.1.2010 22:07 #19

• adre02

  Quote:Originally posted by fgamer: Do we really need to call Microsoft names? Sure they do some things bad...but their overall a decent company that dominates in certain areas of business. Your FUNNY, Got your Helmet and Crayons? Microcrap has been spoon fed to the public for how long now? My wife just had so many problems with it i put Linux on her PC. She loves IT. (MICROCRAP, wanted $65 Dollars from me to give me a new Code to REINSTALL WINDOWS, LIKE i never shelled out $300 for it in the first place) they can KISS MY BENDER! I DO ALL I CAN to not give them one penny of my hard Earned Money. It is just like, Buying a NEW car in today's World. THEY ARE MADE TO BREAK DOWN. LOOK AT THE PRODUCT SPECS, And their Updates CAUSE CRASHES ... Go buy a 1000GB hard drive so you can have 500GB in "CRUCIAL UPDATES" YEP after all these years I SAY, I CAN CALL Microcrap ANYTHING I WANT TO, AND "Microcrap" Is about the cleanest, Honest thing i can call them.
  ..
  Someone give this person a bottle, wahhhhhhhh! Wow, never heard so much crying in one post. Get a grip! There are far worse things going on in life ...

  23.1.2010 18:57 #20

• bmlshane

  Why is Microsloth in business? The reason $$$$$, keep them coming back for upgrades, new O.S etc. And as far as I know, no-one can sue me for my comments, as there is no Microsloth, so I have answered someones objection to not calling s shovel a shovel.
  

  warlock

  27.1.2010 03:58 #21

• SProdigy

  Originally posted by adre02: Quote:Originally posted by fgamer: Do we really need to call Microsoft names? Sure they do some things bad...but their overall a decent company that dominates in certain areas of business. Your FUNNY, Got your Helmet and Crayons? Microcrap has been spoon fed to the public for how long now? My wife just had so many problems with it i put Linux on her PC. She loves IT. (MICROCRAP, wanted $65 Dollars from me to give me a new Code to REINSTALL WINDOWS, LIKE i never shelled out $300 for it in the first place) they can KISS MY BENDER! I DO ALL I CAN to not give them one penny of my hard Earned Money. It is just like, Buying a NEW car in today's World. THEY ARE MADE TO BREAK DOWN. LOOK AT THE PRODUCT SPECS, And their Updates CAUSE CRASHES ... Go buy a 1000GB hard drive so you can have 500GB in "CRUCIAL UPDATES" YEP after all these years I SAY, I CAN CALL Microcrap ANYTHING I WANT TO, AND "Microcrap" Is about the cleanest, Honest thing i can call them.
  ..
  Someone give this person a bottle, wahhhhhhhh! Wow, never heard so much crying in one post. Get a grip! There are far worse things going on in life ...Seriously, Windows has to be built with how many different vendors in mind? Sure Linux does too but I'd bet that everyone who has used it has had issues finding drivers, compatible software, etc. Neither is far from perfect... which leads me to Apple. They sell you on "perfect". Go ahead, get locked into a closed proprietary system, which also happens to have malware protection built into it's latest iteration. If that's not the pot calling the kettle black, I'm not sure what is!

  28.1.2010 13:25 #22

• KillerBug

  Windows may not be the fastest or the most secure, or the cheapest, or the most reliable...but the software compatability is second to none.
  
  Would you want a MAC or Linux box for gaming? Of course not, you can get more games for a Virtual Boy!
  
  Plus, it is a nice middleground for the average user...it isn't locked up tight like MacOS, and it does not require typing commands to do most tasks (unlike linux).
  

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  29.1.2010 00:17 #23