WASHINGTON: Microsoft Corp. acknowledges that hackers booby-trapped its popular MSN Web site in South Korea to steal passwords from visitors. The company says it was unclear how many Internet users might have been victimised.
Microsoft said it cleaned the Web site, msn.co.kr , and removed the dangerous software code that unknown hackers inserted this week. A spokesman, Adam Sohn, said yesterday that Microsoft was confident its English-language Web sites were not vulnerable to the same type of attack.
South Korea is a leader in high-speed Internet users worldwide. Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Web properties - which offer news, financial advice, car- and home-buying information and more - are among the most popular across the Web.
The affected Microsoft site in South Korea offers news and other information plus links to the company's free e-mail and search services. Its English-language equivalent is the default home Internet page for the newest versions of its flagship Windows software sold in the United States.
The Korean site, unlike US versions, was operated by another company, which Microsoft did not identify. Microsoft's own experts and Korean police were investigating, but Microsoft believes the computers were vulnerable because operators failed to apply necessary software patches, said Sohn, an MSN director.
"Our preliminary opinion here was, this was the result of an unpatched operating system," Sohn said. "When stuff is in our data centre, it's easier to control. We're pretty maniacal about getting servers patched and keeping our customers safe and protected."
