New attack on Apple Safari under Windows XP or Vista

Microsoft posted a security advisory today concerning users of the Apple Safari web browser under Windows XP or Vista. This particular security vulnerability does not occur on other operating systems combined with Safari.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/953818.mspx

"Microsoft is investigating new public reports of a blended threat that allows remote code execution on all supported versions of Windows XP and Windows Vista when Apple’s Safari for Windows has been installed."

You can mitigate the attack vector by simply changing the default download destination path in Safari from the Desktop (a side rant here, NO program should ever select the Desktop as it's default storage location . . . ) to another folder on your hard drive. I recommend you create a downloads folder on your C: drive (or another drive if you have more than one partition) and point Safari at that location.

Under XP open "My Computer" or under Vista "Computer."

Open the C: drive (or your preferred hard drive.)

Right click on any white space and select New Folder. Name it "Downloads" or something appropriate.

Launch Safari. Under the Edit menu select Preferences.

At the option where it states Save Downloaded Files to:, select the new folder you created on your system.

Courage

Courage does not always roar.
Sometimes it is a quiet voice
at the end of the day, saying...
"I will try again tomorrow."

- Unknown

If you build it, they will come . . .

Playground kit, (some assembly required) assembled. check

Polished gravel delivered and spread, to prevent skinned knees. check

Letting the neighborhood kids cubs come over to play. check