Security Update for Internet Explorer

Today, Microsoft issued out-of-band security update MS10-018 to address the vulnerability described in Microsoft Security Advisory 981374, affecting Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7. Internet Explorer 8 is unaffected by the vulnerability in Security Advisory 981374, and is not vulnerable to any of the current attacks. We have been monitoring this issue and have determined that an out-of-band release is needed to protect customers. Microsoft recommends that customers test and deploy this security update as soon as possible. Because Security Bulletin MS10-018 is a cumulative update, it will also address nine other privately reported vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer that were planned for release on April 13. The update is rated “Critical” and applies to all currently supported versions of Internet Explorer including Internet Explorer 8, because three of the additional vulnerabilities impact Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7. We recommend that customers install the update immediately. Once applied, customers are protected against the known attacks related to Security Advisory 981374. For customers using automatic updates, this update will automatically be applied once it is released. Microsoft continues to encourage all customers to upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 to benefit from the improved security protection it offers. Updates to this issue will be provided via the Microsoft Security Response Center Blog at https://blogs.microsoft.com/msrc.