The patch is designed to eliminate a security hole in the mail-browser link of Outlook and Outlook Express that could allow malicious programmers to hijack a computer and send damaging emails to others, according to Bugtraq, an online security mailing list.
In addition, the patch is designed to prevent potential Internet vandals from sending an HTML-enabled email that could allow them to read--but not add, change or delete--files on the recipient's computer.
The patch would also hinder a malicious person trying to manipulate or crash computers that use either POP3 or IMAP4, which provide ways to manage email on remote servers.
The Bugtraq report recommends that people either install the patch, perform a default installation of Internet Explorer 5.01 service pack, or perform a default installation of IE 5.5 on any system except Windows 2000.
Computers running Outlook Express 5.5 are not vulnerable to these security holes, according to Microsoft.
Discuss: Microsoft fills holes in old Outlook versions
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