July is the 'month of browser bugs': Security expert

Each day this month, a prominent security expert will highlight a new vulnerability found in one of the major Internet browsers.

HD Moore, the creator of Metasploit Framework, a tool that helps test whether a system is safe from intrusion, has dubbed July the Month of Browser Bugs. Already, the security researcher has featured five security flaws, three for Microsoft's Internet Explorer and one apiece for Mozilla's Firefox and Apple Computer's Safari.

Moore noted that one of the IE bugs appeared to have been recently patched.

"This blog will serve as a dumping ground for browser-based security research and vulnerability disclosure," Moore said on his blog. "The hacks we publish are carefully chosen to demonstrate a concept without disclosing a direct path to remote code execution."

Browser security holes are nothing new, but Moore's repository of flaws shines a light on the problem.

Moore says on his site that he reported two of the IE bugs to Microsoft last March. Microsoft acknowledged that it had been in contact with Moore but downplayed the seriousness of the flaws Moore is publicising.

"(Microsoft's) investigation has revealed that most issues relating to Internet Explorer in particular will result in the browser closing unexpectedly," the company said in an e-mail statement.

Moore doesn't indicate how many of his published vulnerabilities are critical, but security company Secunia has rated one of the flaws, which Moore calls Internet.HHCtrl Image Property, as highly critical.

Advertisement

Talkback 0 comments

Latest Videos

Sponsored content

Power Centre - Content from our premier sponsors

Blogs

  • Suzanne Tindal Love me, tender
    Considering how expensive and drawn-out tender processes can be to solve problems that might be very immediate, it's little wonder that the Victorian Police IT department tried to work the tender exemptions system.
  • Array 2009 funding drought rolls on
    For Australian start-ups looking for venture capital, 2009 was a very bad year. 2010 may be no better.
  • Array Can not-so-smart meters help the NBN?
    It was interesting to witness Conroy's recent enthusiasm to spruik the NBN's role in supporting the Smart Grid, Smart City initiative. What a pity that Conroy hadn't yet seen the damning report from the Victorian auditor-general about that state's smart-meter roll-out.
  • More blogs »

Tags

Back to top

Featured