Microsoft working to close 8-year-old Web proxy vulnerability
Microsoft is working on a fix for an eight-year-old flaw in Windows that lets hackers exploit a Web proxy autoconfiguration protocol and take over groups of machines via a single attack. Microsoft has yet to release the update it has been working on since last week that addresses the vulnerability in the Web Proxy Autodiscovery Protocol (WPAD) in Windows.
The flaw was first discovered in 1999, and some experts say it has never be adequately patched. The flaw affects all versions of Windows including Vista, but does not affect computers in the United States. Microsoft reportedly patched the flaw eight years ago to protect computers that use the “.com” domain as part of their corporate identity. The fix, however, does not work for computers that use domain country codes, such as .nz (New Zealand) or .uk (United Kingdom).
