Check Point SmartDefense Secures Against IE7 Vulnerability

Check Point Software Technologies has announced through Check Point SmartDefense Services, users of VPN-1 R65, R62, and VSX NGX R65 are protected from an unpatched, publicly available Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 vulnerability. SmartDefense Services subscribers in India gain immediate protection against the threat, which if exploited allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands and access information residing on a targeted machine.

Made public a few days ago on Chinese online forums, the Internet Explorer 7 browser flaw affects users running Windows XP Service Packs 2 and 3, Windows Vista, Windows Vista Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2003 Service Packs 1 and 2, and Windows Server 2008. The attack is a typical drive-by download, where hackers infect existing websites – or set-up their own rogue websites - and then redirect or trick users into going to them.

The moment the victim lands on the site, hackers slip malicious software quietly onto the victim’s computer through a flaw in the browser or a browser plug-in. The malicious software is often used to silently steal sensitive data by secretly logging everything the victim types. SmartDefense protection refutes this attack by preventing the exploitation of the underlying browser’s flaw.

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“With no patch and the exploit code publicly available for hackers to use, businesses are left quite exposed,” said Bhaskar Bhakthavatsalu, country manager, India & SAARC. “Rather than rely on employees to implement complicated workarounds locally, Check Point SmartDefense Services provide Indian enterprises immediate protection to the latest threats.”