An anonymous cyber attacker had just posted a CSS-based (Cascading Style Sheet) attack code last Friday that could be utilized to penetrate into a computer that's using older iterations of the ubiquitous-but-often-loathed Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) web browser. The script was spotted at the Bugtraq mailing list, and it was sent there by an unidentified hacker. Symantec, which is one of the world leaders in IT security wares, identifies the code as an inconsistent one that doesn't always work, but when it does, it can be used to install unauthorized programs on a targeted machine.

The security vendor then reported on its website last Saturday that it has conducted a battery of tests on the matter and has confirmed that the attack code directly targets IE versions 6 and 7. The company's team of experts then surmised that a fully functional and dependable exploit based on the code will probably appear later on in the near future because the script was already published for the public consumption of tech-savvy cyber terrorists.

Meanwhile, a security consultancy by the name of Vupen Security echoed Symantec's analysis in terms of the effectiveness of the attack. The consultancy also delved into details like the fact that the code specifically worked on the Windows XP Service Pack 3 platform that runs IE 6 or IE 7. However, neither of the two IT security companies was able to verify whether or not the attack worked on the Microsoft Corporation's newest and latest web browser, IE 8.

Moreover, Symantec said nothing in its report about the attack being presently used by any of the virtual villains, cyber criminals, or hacker hooligans populating the information superhighway. Then again, because IE's earlier versions are still some of the most used applications when surfing the Internet (despite Firefox's impressive rise to the top of the browser heap), this kind of code remains highly valued by web terrorists of all walks of life.

If an exploit based on this code does come out, Microsoft will probably rush out an emergency fix or include it on an important Patch Tuesday update by next month. As of this writing, Microsoft couldn't be reached for comment on the matter. As a side note, both IE 6 and IE 7 have cornered the browser market by accruing nearly forty percent of overall shares.