Date: 17 Nov 1997 15:43:51 -0500 From: Roland Roberts <rroberts@muller.com> Subject: Re: Workaround for the new Pentium flaw

Microsoft has subsequently posted an official statement as to what they are doing. What I find most interesting is their temporary "work-around":

...Since this erratum can only be exploited by a program that was developed with malicious intent and deliberately uses this illegal instruction, following common-sense computing practices, such as not downloading or running executables from unknown sources, can protect a user from this problem.

Since Microsoft Active-X is essential "downloading or running executables from [possibly untrusted] sources", Microsoft is inviting everyone not to use Internet Explorer. Of course, I don't expect them to actually say that nor do I expect most people to realize that merely "browsing" may constitute "downloading and running".

Roland B Roberts, PhD, Muller Data Corp, 395 Hudson Avenue, New York, NY 10014 USA 1-212-807-5143 rroberts@muller.com