Microsoft issues quick fix for IE vulnerability

Microsoft has released a quick fix for a vulnerability in older versions of its Internet Explorer browser that is actively being used by attackers to take over computers.

The vulnerability affects IE versions 6, 7 and 8. The latest versions of the browser, 9 and 10, are not affected. The company occasionally issues quick fixes as a temporary protective measure while a permanent security update is developed if a vulnerability is considered particularly dangerous.

Microsoft issued an advisory on Saturday warning of the problem, which involves how IE accesses "an object in memory that has been deleted or has not been properly allocated." The problem corrupts the browser's memory, allowing attackers to execute their own code.