Microsoft Wednesday took the rare step of issuing the patch after numerous security experts advised people to switch to rival browsers until Microsoft fixed the problem .
problem
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Microsoft Wednesday took the rare step of issuing the patch after numerous security experts advised people to switch to rival browsers until Microsoft fixed the <m> problem </m> .
Microsoft issues emergency patch for Internet Explorer
Microsoft has issued an emergency patch for its Internet Explorer browser , aiming to fix a critical flaw that allowed hackers to take over computers merely by steering them to infected websites .
Microsoft Wednesday took the rare step of issuing the patch after numerous security experts advised people to switch to rival browsers until Microsoft fixed the <m> problem </m> .
Microsoft usually releases patches on a set schedule and this is only the third emergency patch in the last three years .
The flaw has been in circulation since the first week of December .
So far , more than two million computers are believed to have been infected , according to PC Magazine .
The vulnerabilities are found on copies of Internet Explorer 7 , as well as IE6 and IE5 .
The patch is designed to prevent attackers from downloading malware onto users ' computers if they visit a malicious Web site , or a legitimate Web site that has been infected .