Yet another IE...chink,flaw, feature?

[malcore]

http://news.com.com/Another+Internet+Explorer+flaw+found/2100-7349_3-5259374.html?tag=nefd.top

This is never going to end. Spell checkers and familiarity aside, ActiveX has undeniably become a very bad thing, as has Internet Explorer. Move on, suck it up and make the adjustment.

[Sylvander]

"a security researcher identified another flaw"
Is it really a "flaw" or is it specifically designed to be there?

"They chose to address only one part of the problem"
See what I mean?

"They should have seen this one coming"
Perhaps they did, because they put it there?

"This marks the third time in a month that Microsoft has had to play catch-up to researchers' public disclosures about insecurities in Internet Explorer"
When the general public discover yet another of their "flaws", they have to at least APPEAR to be trying to fix it.

"security researchers discovered last week that a milder vulnerability, which Microsoft had fixed in early versions of the browser, reappeared in later versions. "
They are running out of differing "flaws" to include, so are being forced to repeat old "flaws".

"Microsoft acknowledged the latest issue and said more fixes would be forthcoming."
And yet more "flaws" I'm sure.

"Most exploits we are seeing developed today are composed of multiple vulnerabilities, (each one) bypassing a specific security feature of Internet Explorer," Kuperus said. "Individually, many of these issues often are fairly harmless, but combined they can pose serious risk."
So what we have here is a combination of "flaws", which together "pose a SERIOUS risk".

"Vulnerabilities in IE have become so common"
How come? By design?

[HeadachesAbound]

As a programmer, I can understand how a bug or 2 might end up in a particular piece of software. What I cannot understand is how said bugs can continue to persist considering the age of the software in question.

Dump IE, get a real browser. If you need spell-check, well try one these... (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=free+spellcheck)

[rik148755]

With all this talk of "use an alternative browser", I find myself asking "what others are available?"

Can anyone assist? :confused:

Thanks.

[PrntRhd]

Mozilla suite (browser & e-mail)
Firebird (Mozilla browser stand-alone)/Thunderbird (Mozilla e-mail client)
Opera (free with ads/paid with no ads)
Netscape

[jabarnutcase]

Of course, like many here, Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) happens to be my favorite "alternative".

None are without their own little quirks and flaws (IMHO), but no question they are all safer to use than IE these days.

HOWEVER...I still use IE too.
I promised Uncle Bill. What can I say? :p

[pave_spectre]

There is a whole thread on them HERE (http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16345) .

Of course, like many here, Firefox happens to be my favorite "alternative".

You can also have lots of fun with the extension for Spacecow....er, I mean Firefox! :p

[HeadachesAbound]

I use IE to test web pages after I've confirmed they are compliant with Mozilla / Firefox, Opera, and Netscape to see what else I have to fix so that they will work in IE.

I also use IE to demonstrate to clients what is truly wrong with a website that company X built for them for $1,500 and then I show them how everyone else sees it when they use Mozilla, Firefox, Opera, and Netscape. Really drives home the flaws with m$ technology in general.

I tend to lean more towards the Mozilla Suite just for it's general simplicity. And yes, all browsers have quirks. They wouldn't be true software without them.

[Donn]

Originally posted by Sylvander


"security researchers discovered last week that a milder vulnerability, which Microsoft had fixed in early versions of the browser, reappeared in later versions. "
They are running out of differing "flaws" to include, so are being forced to repeat old "flaws".

"Microsoft acknowledged the latest issue and said more fixes would be forthcoming."
And yet more "flaws" I'm sure.

Okay, what's the point here? I don't get it. They keep doing this, but to what end? Or is there a point? Is there some grand design (possible?) behind all this. Steve Gibson asks similar questions and makes similar points about what seems to be a blantant disregard for security, or a planned disregard... on the raw sockets in Xp for personal users:

Edit: correction:http://www.grc.com/dos/sockettome.htm

Edit 2: If a fix was issued friday, why is it that Windows update has no critical updates for me? Stood up again, story of my life.

I don't understand the technicals in all that, but he makes his point: that security issues are being ignored, and they are easy to not ignore.

So I have to wonder: is there a quid pro quo? Or just madness or stupidity or self-loathing at the top :eek: , and everyone else just, what? following the feedbag :D ?

[Mark Miller]

Due to some help [or pushing:D :D ] from some to go unnamed people here I have tried and switched to firefox.
I love it, and for me at least it is working perfectly.
There is even a spell checker that works at least as well ie spell.
http://exchangecode.com/spellbound/
[Thanks Mal I did persevere and it's running great.]
I find I am only using ie for updates now.
What's really cool is this is not even the finished version.
Also not to take anything away from here but, they have a really good support forum.
Of course this place will always be my favorite:D
If I am rambling it's because this browser is so cool.
Mark:D

[rik148755]

Originally posted by jabarnutcase
Of course, like many here, Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) happens to be my favorite "alternative".

None are without their own little quirks and flaws (IMHO), but no question they are all safer to use than IE these days.

HOWEVER...I still use IE too.
I promised Uncle Bill. What can I say? :p

Im trying Firefox now, just downloading it with IE, lol, the irony! :p

[rik148755]

Im on firefox now, and have to say its quite good so far. Must go and play.

[rik148755]

Multiple tabs in 1 window!!! :D this is good (sorry for the spam)

[rik148755]

Firefox.... what can I say, it has a download manager, pop up blocker, the multiple tabs for pages, its IE and then lots more, I must say I am impressed. Anyone else reading this and looking for an alternative to IE, must go try this. It took me 3 mins to get it set up. Its great so far!

And it even imports your IE settings if you want, links etc... great! :D

[jabarnutcase]

Yes, it is pretty cool. Did I mention it's my favorite alternative? :D

And believe me, the "playing" is just beginning. Many themes, extensions, plugins, tweaks etc. to boggle the mind.
Have fun!

BTW rik148755...Just in case you didn't already know, you have an hour to edit your post if you get tired of replying to yourself.
Completely up to you and no offense intended whatsoever. ;)

(EDIT) Often we'll just add "(EDIT)" when we want to change something or add a few extra thoughts just so people know what was added. :cool:

(EDIT #2)just downloading it with IE, lol, the irony! :p Hehe...that is pretty funny now that you mention it!

[rik148755]

jabarnutcase it is very good indeed, and edit, I should use that function more often, cheers, I didnt realise it lasted 1 hour. Thanks :)

[HeadachesAbound]

I think I need to put together a theme for firefox / mozilla...

We are the Dinosaur. You will be assimilated. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile.

[rik148755]

Moved onto Thunderbird now, wow this certainly is an anti-microsoft evening for me! hehe! :D

[pave_spectre]

Thunderbird is a nice combination with Firefox.

Some nice features including some kind of adaptive junk mail filtering (?) which I haven't been able to test since I don't get junk mail.:rolleyes:

[Paleo Pete]

Well, guess I have to jump on the bandwagon, I used IE to download Firefox, :D and tried it about a week ago. I liked it so well I'm recommending it to customers. Second day I used it I dropped it onto a Utilities CD I use for my shop, started getting it on customers' machines.

90% of the repairs I take in are spyware/browser hijackers, it's time for this to stop...or at least slow down a lot. I suppose next I'll be trying their email client to go along with it. Outlook/Outlook Express have been responsible for the installation of uncounted millions of viruses, when simply disabling ActiveX/Active Scripting and shutting down the preview pane LONG AGO would have stopped the majority of them in their tracks.

My primary gripe has always been this...IE 4 - ActiveX began to be used to install viruses in emails. (Remember Melissa? One of the first) That was 1996 or so. 7-8 years later, after IE5, 5.01, 5.1, 5.5, now 6 and w/SP1 STILL have both enabled by default. (I've used all but 6, got 5.5 stable enough and stopped getting bit) Over 65,000 viruses, millions upon millions of infected machines, and M$ still hasn't had the good sense to pull the plug...

OK I'll get off my soapbox...

One thing I noticed from that articlw is that several of the latest exploits were a combination of several otherwise basically harmless (by themselves) flaws...the crud writers are getting smarter...

[PrntRhd]

Microsoft's IE team is not inspiring confidence, see this very recent article: eweek (http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1621506,00.asp)

[rik148755]

Wrong place for this I know, but can a .pst file be opened with Thunderbird?

Thanks in advance!

[Mark Miller]

Hey Pete, it's still a beta. Are you not a little nervous putting it on customers pc's?
I love it also, but there kinks and hiccups still.
Mark;)

[Paleo Pete]

Yeah, I'm a little nervous, but so far it's run perfect every time, including my old Celeron 400 win98 machine, and a Cyrix M-II 350. I'm a lot more worried about what's going to happen when I send customers back out "into the line of fire", as it were, with a browser that's long been proven to be a serious threat to their online security. That's proven by the fact that they had to come to me to repair what's already out there just waiting to get right back onto their computers...

Also, Mozilla isn't new to the browser market, I've been using their Linux browser for a long time, their Windows browser has been around for a good while and has usually had a good reputation, plus the recommendations Firefox got around here...One of those "lesser of two evils" choices...new and possibly buggy browser or old and definitely malware target browser. And they don't have a habit of releasing flaky software either. I've also considered trying to find a slightly older and proven version.

[pave_spectre]

I've also considered trying to find a slightly older and proven version.

Do you mean older versions of Firefox?

I've still got the zipped (no installer) versions of 0.7 in both windows and linux. I may even have the installer windows version lying around somewhere.

new and possibly buggy browser

It's definitely a little buggy, I've managed to find two websites that had pages that caused the linux version to just immediately crash.

[Sylvander]

I've just installed "Firefox V0.9.1", so I'm spoiled for choice.
Many thanks to you Mark.

IE is faster and the "Favourites" management is better, but that aside it loses on all other fronts I think.

"Firefox" looks nicer, doesn't have the security "flaws", has just as much viewable area, and the way it works is a real winner! :D

I liked it right from the first glance, and started to settle in very quickly.
When I installed the spellchecker and dictionary, the method of doing it was soooo impressively simple.
The method of customizing the toolbar is inspired.
The help files looked good.

WOW ! :) :cool:

[Mark Miller]

I love the tool bar also. I got everything I had on ie[ links etc...] down to 2 lines, on ie it took 3. Small point but fun.
I understand that the pop-up blocker is going to be a little easier to allow and disallow also.
Mark

[rik148755]

Where is the spell checker, I got loads of add ins, but cant find the spell checker! :confused:

Thanks.

[Mark Miller]

Hey Rik,
Just follow the link and read the whole page:D
http://exchangecode.com/spellbound/
Have fun!!!!
Mark

[rik148755]

Thanks Mark. ;)

[rik148755]

This spell checker is amazing. No longer will I look like a lazy ass English pig!

:p

[Sylvander]

I have a VERY extensive set of "Favourites" in IE and there would be times when I needed to find one of those.
I knew it was in there somewhere, but where?
The search usually took quite some time and was a REAL pain.

Wouldn't you know it?
"Firefox" has a simple search facility to find that favourite with ease.

FAAAAaaantaaastic ! :)

How easy is that?

[rik148755]

It truly is amazing compared to IE, I suggest to anyone to try it and see if it suits you! I was an IE fan, but was easily led by Fire Fox. A true piece of genius!

[Mark Miller]

Just remember it is a beta and there might be a few problems. If you run into any just click the little globe in the upper right part of you toolbar it takes you the firefox home page which from there you can get to their support forums.
My only problem so far has been that I can't connect to my internet bank as it will only work with ie {the bank told me so] but otherwise it's the cats meow [sorry to date myself:) ]

[rik148755]

Yeah, Im well aware of the beta issue, but I have tried nearly all my favourites on it so far, and nothing has crashed!

I have used many obscure sites and all work fine!