News Releases
Cupertino, Calif., December 17, 2008 - UPDATE: Microsoft update now available for this vulnerability. Go to: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/961051.mspx to apply the patch.
Cupertino, Calif., December 11, 2008 – The most recent zero-day vulnerability has left users of Microsoft Internet Explorer open and vulnerable to cybercriminals hacking into their PCs and stealing private information. Trend Micro detected a malicious JavaScript called JS_DLOAD.MD on several Web sites that exploits a zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer through a heap spray on SDHTML.
After a successful exploit, it triggers a series of redirections to multiple URLs, then finally connects to one of several different domains. Unfortunately, since Microsoft’s security updates failed to provide protection against this vulnerability, users of Internet Explorer are at risk even while surfing the Web on fully patched Windows XP and Windows 2003 systems.
Within minutes, Trend Micro’s Web reputation technology, a component of the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network, delivered immediate protection to customers by blocking access to these malicious URLs.
Because of the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network, customers of Trend Micro receive real-time, multi-layered protection against the growing magnitude and sophistication of Web threats – without relying solely on crafting antivirus signature updates. Another aspect of the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network is "correlation technology" -- layers of cloud-based threat reputation systems coupled with system-based behavioral analysis and protection that correlate combinations of activities to determine if they are malicious. A single activity of a Web threat may appear harmless, but when several activities are detected together, they may signal a malicious result. By correlating the different components of a threat and continuously updating its threat databases, Trend Micro has the distinct advantage of being able to respond in real time, providing immediate and automatic protection from email and Web threats like this most recent zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer.
Non-Trend Micro customers can take advantage of the free protection tools offered on Trend Micro’s Web site:
TrendProtect™ is a free browser plug-in that helps users avoid Web pages with unwanted content and hidden threats. TrendProtect rates the current page and pages listed in Google, MSN, and Yahoo search results. These ratings can help determine whether a user wants to visit a certain Web page.
Trend Micro™ HouseCall is an application for checking whether a computer has been infected by viruses, spyware, or other malware. HouseCall performs additional security checks to identify and fix vulnerabilities to prevent reinfection.
These, and other, free tools can be found: http://us.trendmicro.com/us/products/personal/free-tools-and-services/index.html
For more information on the Internet Explorer exploit, please visit the Trend Micro Malware blog: http://blog.trendmicro.com/zero-day-ie-flaw-being-actively-exploited/
About Trend Micro:
Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in Internet content security, focuses on securing the exchange of digital information for businesses and consumers. A pioneer and industry vanguard, Trend Micro is advancing integrated threat management technology to protect operational continuity, personal information, and property from malware, spam, data leaks and the newest Web threats. Visit TrendWatch at www.trendmicro.com/go/trendwatch to learn more about the threats. Trend Micro’s flexible solutions, available in multiple form factors, are supported 24/7 by threat intelligence experts around the globe. Many of these solutions are powered by the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network, a next generation cloud-client content security infrastructure designed to protect customers from Web threats. A transnational company, with headquarters in Tokyo, Trend Micro’s trusted security solutions are sold through its business partners worldwide. Please visit www.trendmicro.com.
