Google Fixes Toolbar Privacy Flaw (fixed available today)
Prompted by a report on a privacy problem affecting its browser toolbar add-on, Google has addressed the issue with an update.
In a report published on Tuesday, Harvard assistant professor and security researcher Benjamin Edelman presented findings about a privacy flaw in the Google Toolbar, Web browser add-on software that makes Google Search more easily accessible through Internet Explorer and Firefox. [...]
Edelman acknowledges in a disclosure statement that he has served as a consultant for Google's competitors and has litigated against the company on behalf of plaintiffs. But such relationships, though invariably mentioned by Google representatives, do not change the validity of his findings.
Indeed, Google has acknowledged that its Toolbar wasn't working as it should have been and has issued fix.
"To be clear, this is only an issue until a user restarts the browser, and it only affects the currently open tabs for a small number of users," said a Google spokesperson in an e-mailed statement. "Specifically it affects those using Google Toolbar versions 6.3.911.1819 through 6.4.1311.42 in Internet Explorer, with enhanced features enabled, who chose to disable Toolbar without uninstalling it. Once the user restarts the browser, the issue is no longer present. A fix that doesn't require a browser restart is now available on www.google.com/toolbar and in an automatic update to Google Toolbar that we are starting tomorrow."
http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222500216 via CoU. Indeed, it's good to know that Google fixed it soon unlike Ask toolbar, it's been years and the vulnerability is not addressed by IAC so for security software vendors and other software vendors to bundle Ask in their installer/application.... it is irresponsible.