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    Bugs and Fixes

  • Contributing Editor Stuart J. Johnston advises you on how to fix the latest problems affecting your operating system, your browser, your other software, and your hardware.
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Bugs and Fixes: How to Spot Virus Hoaxes a Mile Off

Stuart J. Johnston

Gopher Hole in Internet Explorer

Finnish security firm Oy Online Solutions found another security hole in Internet Explorer, versions 5.01 through 6.0. This one affects an outdated feature called Gopher--a protocol that was used for accessing text pages over the Internet before the advent of the World Wide Web. Hardly anyone uses Gopher these days, but IE still includes the capability. Even if you don't use Gopher, a cracker could entice you to click a Web link or open an HTML e-mail that would allow the intruder to take over your PC. At press time there was no sign of a patch, but Microsoft did post a workaround.

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