)-The cyberattack that has prompted Google Inc. (GOOG) to threaten to pull out of China exploited a previously unknown vulnerability in Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) Internet Explorer browser, a security research firm said Thursday.
The attackers took aim at Google and numerous other corporations by targeting one or a few key individuals in each company, tricking them into clicking on a link or a file that appeared to have been sent from a trusted source, said McAfee Inc. (MFE) Chief Technology Officer George Kurtz in a blog post.
This enabled malicious software to be downloaded and installed on the targets' corporate computers, opening back doors that allowed the attackers to perform reconnaissance and gain complete control over the compromised systems, said Kurtz.
The attackers, believed to be in China, had identified high value targets with access to intellectual property and were able to siphon off valuable data from the companies, he said.
"Like an army of mules withdrawing funds from an ATM, this malware enabled the attackers to quietly suck the crown jewels out of many companies while people were off enjoying their December holidays," he wrote.
Kurtz said his company had informed Microsoft about this vulnerability and Microsoft was expected to soon publish an advisory on the matter
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Topic: Google Cyberattack Used Unknown Internet Explorer Hole (Read 99 times)