Microsoft today released Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability an emergency software patch to plug Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability a critical security hole in its Internet Explorer ( IE ) Web browser that attackers are already using to break into Windows computers . The software giant said Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability it learned Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability about the weakness ( CVE-2018-8653 ) after receiving a report Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability from Google about a new vulnerability being used in targeted attacks . Satnam Narang , senior research engineer at Tenable , said Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability the vulnerability affects Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability the following installations of IE : Internet Explorer 11 from Windows 7 to Windows 10 as well as Windows Server 2012 , 2016 and 2019 ; IE 9 on Windows Server 2008 ; and IE 10 on Windows Server 2012 . “ As the flaw is being actively exploited Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability in the wild , users are urged to update Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability their systems as soon as possible to reduce the risk of compromise , ” Narang said . According to a somewhat sparse advisory about the patch , malware or attackers could use the flaw to break into Windows computers simply by getting a user to visit a hacked or booby-trapped Web site . An attacker could then install programs ; view , change , or delete data ; or create new accounts with full user rights . Microsoft says users who have Windows Update enabled and have applied Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability the latest security updates are protected automatically . Windows 10 users can manually check for updates this way ; instructions on how to do this for earlier versions of Windows are here .

Intel is reporting Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability a firmware vulnerability that could let attackers take over remote management functions on computers built over nearly the past decade . The vulnerability , disclosed Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability on Monday , affects Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability features in Intel firmware that are designed for enterprise IT management . Enterprises using Intel Active Management Technology , Intel Small Business Technology and Intel Standard Manageability on their systems should patch Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability them as soon as possible , the company says . The vulnerable firmware features can be found Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability in some current Core processors and all the way back to Intel 's first-generation Core , called Nehalem , which shipped in 2008 . They 're part of versions 6.0 through 11.6 of Intel 's manageability firmware . No consumer PCs are affected , the company said . Nor are data-center servers running Intel Server Platform Services . Intel Active Management Technology is a feature in Core processors that lets organizations remotely track , manage and secure whole fleets of connected computers . For example , it can be used to monitor and repair retail checkout systems , digital signage and PCs at places like stores , offices and schools . Intel didn ’ t provide Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability technical details of the vulnerability , but it said Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability a hacker could use the flaw to take over the remote management functions . In an email , Intel said Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability it learned Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability about the vulnerability from a security researcher in March . “ We are not aware Vulnerability-related.DiscoverVulnerability of any exploitation of this vulnerability , ” the company said . Intel said it has prepared Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability a patch and is working with manufacturers to roll it out Vulnerability-related.PatchVulnerability to users as soon as possible . Intel ’ s security advisory also lays out steps users can take to find out if they ’ re affected . For example , PCs built with its vPro technology will have the vulnerable Intel Active Management feature .