Microsoft Responds to IE Mouse Claims, Spider.io Retaliates

[exfileme]

Microsoft responded to Spider.io's public disclosure of an Internet Explorer flaw.

Microsoft Responds to IE Mouse Claims, Spider.io Retaliates : Read more

 

[kellybean]

MS ties their IE directly at the kernel level on purpose since they made their back-room deal with the FEDS to give them back doors into their OS.

 

[myromance123]

I don't see why I'd need to shut down my computer. Just DON'T use IE. I thought everyone would have honestly learned this lesson already by now. I gave IE9 my last try, and gave up when it caused my entire system to BSOD 3 times after fresh installs. No more IE, no matter how great people say it's become. It's main purpose is to help Microsoft maintain a monopoly, simple.

 

[freggo]

There is all sorts of info that goes along with a standard HTTP request.
From OS version to screen size to # of colors etc.
Cursor location can be called from java scripts etc. (and are needed to make image maps work.
I don't see a serious security issue in anyone knowing where on the screen my cursor is.

but I am open to suggestions

 

[Onus]

I'd like to see all these ad-serving companies brought to heel. Which analytics company was using this exploit? It sounds like at least one senior executive (i.e. a decision-maker, not a peon) should be put down. Where your mouse is when it is outside of their content is obviously none of their business. So there was a "bug" in IE? That's like saying that accidentally leaving your door unlocked gives permission for anyone to come in and take what they want.

 

[jn77]

Just go and buy a domain name, put up a simple website, and install google analytics to it, you would be amazed what you can report on, and I am sure there are things that can be reported on that google does not make public that the feds use..........

 

[dextermat]

I can't wait to see IE10.... noooootttttt!!!!

 

[theconsolegamer]

Let the dinosaur known as Microsoft to go down and die. Let Linux to paved the way into a new era of computing.

 

[AndrewMD]

It funny how many people have issues with IE but are totally obvious of the major issues that are found in competing browsers... If you want absolute security, disconnect yourself from the Internet.

 

[guardianangel42]

[citation][nom]myromance123[/nom]I don't see why I'd need to shut down my computer. Just DON'T use IE. I thought everyone would have honestly learned this lesson already by now. I gave IE9 my last try, and gave up when it caused my entire system to BSOD 3 times after fresh installs. No more IE, no matter how great people say it's become. It's main purpose is to help Microsoft maintain a monopoly, simple.[/citation]

3 BSODs caused by IE9? I find that extraordinarily hard to believe. Anecdotally, I've installed it on over a dozen systems and not one of them BSOD'd. Obviously anecdotal evidence is almost worthless, however the vast majority of problems such as yours tend to be caused by third party programs.

A quick google search reveals that, on launch, BSOD's could be caused by Adobe's Reader X plugin. Further searching reveals that a myriad of addons can cause this behavior.

If you knew what you were doing, which you may or may not have, then addons would never have been a problem. Most addons developed for IE were toolbars that tended to install themselves when you installed free software (still do in fact) but these can almost always be opted out of.

I will admit that Adobe Reader is a fairly universal program. However, unless you're doing a ton of PDF editing (which admittedly you might be) there are much better programs out there. Beyond that there's very little reason to have the PDF plugin installed. It does nothing but bog down browsing speed while producing a product that barely passable.

 

[A Bad Day]

[citation][nom]theconsolegamer[/nom]Let the dinosaur known as Microsoft to go down and die. Let Linux to paved the way into a new era of computing.[/citation]

Error: Vast majority of games and business/education software are not compatible with Linux. Please install an unstable, resource-consuming emulator.

[citation][nom]AndrewMD[/nom]It funny how many people have issues with IE but are totally obvious of the major issues that are found in competing browsers... If you want absolute security, disconnect yourself from the Internet.[/citation]

No, an absolute security is to encase your computer in a 10-meter thick tungsten carbide and fire it into the outer space.

Why?

Because no one can break into your computer and use a cold-boot attack.

 

[ojas]

To read the full response from Microsoft, head here. To read the feedback from Spider.io, head here. To skip all the mouse tracking on the Internet, simply shut down your PC and read from a tablet or smartphone. Or go read a book. Seriously, it's getting insane out here on the World Wide Web.

As if analytics companies don't track mobile browsers...anyway, https everwhere+ghostery+ABP is all you need on a PC.

 

[alextheblue]

[citation][nom]AndrewMD[/nom]It funny how many people have issues with IE but are totally obvious of the major issues that are found in competing browsers... If you want absolute security, disconnect yourself from the Internet.[/citation]It's only natural - the internet is full of ignorant sheep and fanboys.[citation][nom]myromance123[/nom]I don't see why I'd need to shut down my computer. Just DON'T use IE. I thought everyone would have honestly learned this lesson already by now. I gave IE9 my last try, and gave up when it caused my entire system to BSOD 3 times after fresh installs. No more IE, no matter how great people say it's become. It's main purpose is to help Microsoft maintain a monopoly, simple.[/citation]MS doesn't have a monopoly, especially in the browser market. Damn public education... the only true monopolies are government-sanctioned ones. You can buy a Mac, a Linux box, even a Chrome machine (if you like being Cloud-dependent).

Anyway, I've never had any BSODs on IE9, though admittedly I only use it on one box. Most people don't have these kinds of problems, you've probably got driver issues or add-on problems (or both, like Flash plus uncooperative drivers). Not that I care what browser you use, it just makes me laugh. "This software crashed, clearly it wasn't all the other shit that can go wrong because I r teh leet h4x!"

 

[A Bad Day]

My dad still blames Avast for killing a laptop's hard drive years ago.

He never quite figured out that the hard drive simply failed. Unless if a virus somehow accessed the hard drive's controller chips and cooked them, it's very very unlikely.

 

[thecolorblue]

dear microsoft shills lurking in these threads... you guys are pathetic

 

[gnodeb]

if cursor position is THE flaw they found... I think we can say that IE is safe...

 

[tranzz]

Not a risk till you start using a virtual keyboard on a surface tablet then WOW you have a keylogger to the ad companies or anyone else who uses this vunerability

 

[beayn]

[citation][nom]myromance123[/nom]I don't see why I'd need to shut down my computer. Just DON'T use IE. I thought everyone would have honestly learned this lesson already by now. I gave IE9 my last try, and gave up when it caused my entire system to BSOD 3 times after fresh installs. No more IE, no matter how great people say it's become. It's main purpose is to help Microsoft maintain a monopoly, simple.[/citation]BSODs are not generally caused by an internet browser, but by drivers, or hardware problems. You should get a memtest program for the computer that is bsoding. It shouldn't, and it's not Windows or IE causing it. Something is broken.

[citation][nom]tranzz[/nom]Not a risk till you start using a virtual keyboard on a surface tablet then WOW you have a keylogger to the ad companies or anyone else who uses this vunerability[/citation]
That's a good point. Everyone has been wondering what sort of security risk this is, and a virtual keyboard is pretty much the only way it could exploit anything that I can think of.

 

[merandos]

Who even uses IE ?

 

[beayn]

[citation][nom]merandos[/nom]Who even uses IE ?[/citation]Something like 20-25% of users. Most people don't know, or don't care about what they use to browse the net.

 

[f-14]

Mr. Parrish commits biased ad failure for promoting windows 8 touch.

To skip all the mouse tracking on the Internet, simply shut down your PC and read from a tablet or smartphone. Or go read a book.

oh that's right Mr.Parrish is an apple fanboi, no promotion for you microsoft!

 

[belardo]

Solution: don't use IE.

 

[myromance123]

I am surprised so many of you find it hard to believe that IE9 was the cause of my problem. I installed it via Windows Update, and this isn't the first time Windows updates have failed me ( Vista's update caused the black screen of death).

I literally had it cause my system to BSOD 3 times. I don't care if you don't believe me, and I know it was not my hardware as I am still using the same hardware today with Ubuntu 12.10 and Windows 8 (student licence). IE9 is just a bad browser, even if it is an improvement over IE. Why go for the closed browser when you have FF or Chromium which are open and multi-platform?