For several months now we have a seen a trend where hackers who discover a vulnerability in a Microsoft product wait until the day after "Patch Tuesday" to release the exploit. This month there has been a proof of concept exploit released for the Microsoft DirectAnimation Path ActiveX Control. ActiveX controls are little programs that Internet Explorer runs to add functionality, such as displaying video, etc. Sometimes these programs can be abused to allow a hacker to gain control of your computer.
As of this writing we have not seen malicious code exploiting this vulnerability, but that does not mean it will not happen. Microsoft has more information, including steps to protect yourself at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/925444.mspx.
If we find any malicious code we will add detection for it if we do not already detect it with our advanced heuristics that often block new threats before we actually see them. As always, it is important to keep your operating system and application current with security updates. You also need to keep your anti-virus software current. If you have a default installation of NOD32 it will check every hour for you and download the latest updates to help keep you protected. You should always exercise care in choosing which web sites you visit. Staying away from unknown web sites and web sites included in spam is a great way to reduce your exposure to malicious software.
Have a safe and fun weekend!
Randy Abrams
Director of Technical Education
ESET LLC
