A new exploit for IE9 bypasses all security measures in even the latest fully patched version of Windows 7, according to a French security company Vupen.

The exploit uses an unpatched zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer 9 and bypasses all the extra security measures of Windows 7. The latest version of Microsoft's operating system, fully up-to-date with service pack 1 (SP1), is vulnerable. The security hole was reported by the French security company Vupen, that previously discovered an IE8 vulnerability in December of last year.

Vupen classifies the exploit for IE9 as reliable, which means it's an effective way for cyber attackers to run malicious code of their choosing on Windows 7 PCs. The exploit manages to break through Windows' additional security layers, such as ASLR, DEP and the sandbox (Protected Mode) in IE9.

"The exploit uses two distinct vulnerabilities. The first one allows execution of arbitrary code within the IE9 sandbox. The second one allows the bypass of the sandbox to achieve full code execution," Vupen's CEO Chaouki Bekra told Dutch IDG news site Webwereld.

Full story: InfoWorld