Microsoft Browser Holes Lead to AIM, Dial-Up Attacks

BlackHawk

Security holes in Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser have been exploited by hackers to hijack AOL instant messaging accounts and force unsuspecting Web surfers to run up massive phone bills, computer experts cautioned on Friday.

Some Internet Explorer users are also finding that malicious Web sites are secretly slipping trojan programs onto their computers, which could prove an even more dangerous exploit, said Drew Copley, a research engineer at Aliso Viejo, California-based eEye Digital Security, who discovered the original security vulnerability.

Such stealth programs can include keystroke loggers that record everything a person types or software to erase the hard drive, among other things, he said.

Source: Reuters