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National Cyber Alert System
Cyber Security Alert SA04-163Aarchive

Cross-Domain Vulnerability in Internet Explorer

Original release date: June 11, 2004
Last revised: July 30, 2004
Source: US-CERT

Systems Affected

  • Microsoft Windows systems

    • Overview

    Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) contains a flaw that could allow attackers to run programs of their choice on your computer.

    Description

    Microsoft IE uses a cross-domain security model to separate content from different sources. A flaw in the model makes IE vulnerable to a cross-domain violation. Attackers could exploit this flaw to execute programs on your computer.

    Resolution

    Apply a patch

    Micrososft has released a patch to resolve this issue. It is available from Microsoft Windows Update or Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-025.

    Disable Active scripting and ActiveX controls

    Instructions for disabling Active scripting and ActiveX controls in the Internet Zone can be found in the Malicious Web Scripts FAQ.

    Do not follow unsolicited links

    Do not click on unsolicited URLs received in email, instant messages, web forums, or internet relay chat (IRC) channels.

    Run and maintain an antivirus product

    It is important that you use antivirus software and keep it up to date. Most antivirus software vendors frequently release updated information, tools, or virus databases to help detect and recover from virus infections. Many antivirus packages support automatic updates of virus definitions. US-CERT recommends using these automatic updates when possible.

    References

    Author: Michael Durkota

    Copyright 2004 Carnegie Mellon University. Terms of use

    Revision History

    June 11, 2004: Initial release
    July 30, 2004: Added patch information and links to MS04-025
    Last updated July 17, 2007
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