Internet Explorer and the NWC Browser Plugin

Headline ID: 21
First Appeared: 2003-04-25 17:18:58 < Previous | Next >

Synopsis:
A recent Microsoft security update disables the NWC Browser Plug-in when browsing with Internet Explorer. You can discuss this further in nwcforum article #3305.

Full Description:
Microsoft is at it again. Although we have never seen a formal announcement from Microsoft, it is clear to us from its behavior that Microsoft intends to drop support for standard browser plug-ins in their Internet Explorer product. Microsoft started this process several years ago, and it appears to be finishing the job. The most recent security update for Internet Explorer disables the Plugin.ocx mechanism, which in turn, turns off any browser plug-in that uses it, including the NWC Browser Plug-in. In its security bulletin, it implies that it will no longer be installing this mechanism with new computers. This means that over time, users wishing to take advantage of the NWC Browser Plug-in while browsing should switch to an alternate browser that supports the plug-in standard.

Technical Details:
According to Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-015 [Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer (813489)]:

Quote: "This patch also sets the Kill Bit on the Plugin.ocx ActiveX control which has a security vulnerability. This killbit has been set in order to ensure that the vulnerable control cannot be reintroduced onto users’ systems and to ensure that users who already have the vulnerable control on their system are protected. This issue is discussed further in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 813489."

This change has the effect if turning off the NWC Browser Plug-in if you use Internet Explorer and install the latest patches.

Work Around:
*** Note: This work around is not recommended, as this may compromise the security of your system...we make a better recommendation below.

You must have the plugin.ocx file installed on your system for this work around to be effective!

If you have the Plugin.ocx file, you can reverse the changes made by the Microsoft security update by making a change to the registry:

From Regedit, navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
SOFTWARE\
Microsoft\
Internet Explorer\
ActiveX Compatibility\
{06DD38D3-D187-11CF-A80D-00C04FD74AD8}\
Compatibility Flags

Set the "Compatibility Flags" field to 0, then restart Internet Explorer.

Recommendations:
Consider switching to a browser that supports the standard plug-in architecture, such as: