New Windows security hole called 'extremely critical'

UPDATE: microsoft has released a patch for the vulnerability described below. Find it here.


URGENT: December 31, 2005: a 'severe' security flaw has recently been discovered in Microsoft's Windows operating system. Microsoft has not yet released a patch. According to the Washington Post,

"A previously unknown flaw in Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system is leaving computer users vulnerable to spyware, viruses and other programs that could overtake their machines and has sent the company scrambling to come up with a fix.

"Microsoft said in a statement yesterday that it is investigating the vulnerability and plans to issue a software patch to fix the problem. The company could not say how soon that patch would be available."

Find out more in this Washington Post article from December 30, 2005, and a similar article in PC World.