Just a few short days after identifying a security exploit in multiple versions Internet Explorer, Microsoft has issued a Windows fix it to resolve the issue, with a comprehensive update planned for this Friday. The vulnerability, which was discovered on Monday, put millions of machines at risk by allowing malware to bypass existing security protocols via a specially crafted Flash animation. While it's exact origins remain unknown, the exploit was believed to have been propagated by the same hacker group that launched the zero-day Java vulnerability last month. While the fix it offers immediate protection, Microsoft urges all Internet Explorer users to download and install their forthcoming security update when it becomes available via Windows Update on Friday.