Users of all present versions of the Internet Explorer web browser could be in danger of having their computers compromised. This si due to a severe security issue with the software that has not yet been fixed.

The defect allows crooks to hijack the computers of innocent web surfers, by the use of web sites corrupted with malicious code. It’s thought that up to ten thousand websites have been infected with the code in just the last week, and that they are being used to take advantage of the browser issue. That is, according to information provided by internet security company Trend Micro Inc.

For the most part, the websites are China-based, and the code creates programs that have the ability to record passwords for popular computer games, which are then able to be sold on the black market.