Security flaw missed by Microsoft

A security flaw in Microsoft's Internet Explorer could allow a hacker to take control of a remote computer if its user clicks a link to an outdated Internet protocol, a computer security firm says.

Oy Online Solutions of Finland said it notified Microsoft of the security hole on May 20 but the software giant has yet to produce a software patch to fix the problem.

A Microsoft spokesman who refused to be identified said Tuesday that the company is "moving forward on the investigation with all due speed" and will take the action that best serves its customers.

The problem concerns Gopher, an Internet protocol that predates the World Wide Web with pages like Web pages except that they are unable to store audio and video content.Although Gopher is considered an outdated format for Internet content, it is still supported by Internet Explorer and most other browsers.

According to Oy Online, a hacker could take over a user's computer simply by having the user click on a link to a "hostile Gopher site." That one click would install and run any program the hacker chose on the victim's computer, and the victim might never know.