Weakness found in AOL's instant messenger

It has been discovered that AOL's instant messenger capability may have a security weakness that could allow a hacker to wreak havoc.

The flaw was found by the technology researcher, Boston-based Core Security Technologies, which has stated that it has formally informed AOL of the matter. AIM 6.1 and 6.2 are both affected by the flaw, which AOL claims it has patched but which Core Technologies claims could reoccur. Core Security's chief technology officer Ivan Arce told the Associated Press: "I would say this is critical, this is very serious. It's unclear whether the hole has been exploited."

Mr. Arce was skeptical of AOL claims that it has blocked the hole. He stated: "That filtering mechanism, it doesn't remove the bug from the IM client. It just prevents people from exploiting it. If someone finds a way to bypass the filter, the problem still exists." Earlier this month Skype users were targeted by a worm hidden in instant message invitations.