Operators of the Internet backbone and other companies scrambled to patch a serious software flaw before hackers exploited it to bring down equipment that routes network traffic. The vulnerability, in Cisco Systems Inc. routers and other switches, could be used by hackers to cause widespread outages, network managers said Thursday.
So far, it does not appear that anyone has exploited the flaw, according to Cisco, which released a free patch to fix the flaw in its widely used Internetworking Operating System. Internet providers, meanwhile, quickly scheduled maintenance downtime to install the patch.
"Cisco is not aware of any active exploitation of the vulnerability and is working closely with its customers as well as industry, the government, academia and internet security organizations to effectively address this issue," said Cisco spokesman Jim Brady.
News source: Yahoo News
