14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft recently confirmed a security vulnerability in Internet Explorer that also affects Windows XP users, but given the fact that the company has already retired support for this particular OS version, no patch is going to be released.
AVAST, however, has already updated its anti-virus solution with virus definitions that could block the exploit of the flaw, so if you're running this particular app, make sure that you deploy the new updates to stay on the safe side on your Windows XP machine.
“AVAST gave its word to Windows XP users that it would continue to protect them: Avast has issued a new definition update which addresses this specific Internet Explorer vulnerability, protecting its users running Internet Explorer,” the company said in a statement today.
The flaw found in Internet Explorer calls for the attackers to get users on a malicious website hosting malware designed to exploit the vulnerability, so consumers are also recommended to avoid clicking on suspicious links coming from unknown sources.
At the same time, AVAST also recommends everyone still on Windows XP to move to a different browser, other than Internet Explorer, in order to make sure that every found vulnerability is getting fixed.
“It’s remarkable that it has only been three weeks since the cut off and its users are already being confronted with a major security flaw, which will affect and put Windows XP Internet Explorer users at risk the most… Will this now make Windows XP users migrate?” AVAST said.
“Even with the update, we urge Windows XP users migrate from Internet Explorer to another browser. The latest version of Internet Explorer available on Windows XP is version 8, making it outdated and lacking a number of security improvements that were already unavailable before the official support end date.”
Windows XP users don't really seem to care about all these warnings and according to new statistics, nearly 26 percent of them are still running the unsupported OS version. AVAST says that using the Internet with caution is mandatory these days, especially when opening links coming via unknown channels, because cybercriminals could attempt to exploit the flaw as often as possible, just to make sure that users don't have enough time to deploy apps that could block their attempts.
Internet Explorer 10 and 11 are both on the safe side, Microsoft confirmed, so in case you're running a new version of Windows, such as Windows 7, 8, or 8.1, you don't need to worry that your computer might get hacked.