Internet Explorer is in the headlines today, but not in a good way. The browser was compromised and shown to be dangerously exploitable in an annual contest called Pwn2Own.
But, Microsoft says, the next version of IE will be immune from the glitch that was exposed.
Internet Explorer 9, which is scheduled to be released on Monday, is much more secure than any prior version of the browser, Microsoft contends.
In response to the Pwn2Own results, Microsoft representative Jerry Bryant said in an e-mail to Computerworld.com, “The vulnerability [discovered at Pwn2Own] was addressed in … Internet Explorer 9. This update is already in the pipe for down level-versions of Internet Explorer.”
In other words, Microsoft said the result was not earth shattering. It already knew the vulnerability was there and has been working to fix it in IE8 and below.
Of course, as it stands now, 99% of Internet Explorer users are running vulnerable versions of the browser. That number is sure to drop when IE9 is actually available for public use (right now it’s available for developers and early downloaders of an unfinished version).
The iPhone and Blackberry platforms were also cracked at Pwn2Own.
