Potential Peril Of IM Security FlawPotential Peril Of IM Security Flaw

AOL Time Warner plugged a serious security vulnerability in its AOL Instant Messenger software that experts say could have made the product the target of a malicious worm similar to Nimda or Code Red. Security research group w00w00, which discovered the flaw, said a successful worm writer could have wreaked havoc on 100 million users. Says Pete Lindstrom, Hurwitz Group director of security strategies, "Many businesses could have been vulnerable and not even known it."