Unlike smart phone hacks or other mostly-theoretical vulnerabilities, PCs are constantly hijacked by drive-by-downloads that exploit browser flaws.

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Sites that exploit browser security holes to install software (such as malware, spyware, viruses, adware and Trojan horses) are in violation of our quality guidelines and may be removed from Google's index.

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And that really limits what kind of damage a browser exploit can do.

FORBES: The Web's Edge

An exploit in the mobile Safari browser is another potential vulnerable area, he says.

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In a bid to solve the problem, bug reports about the exploit have been filed with major browser makers.

BBC: Web code weakness allows data dump on PCs

It found that hackers could exploit weaknesses in the way that Microsoft's browser handles vector graphics to hijack Windows PCs.

BBC: NEWS | Technology | Browser bug could get early patch

Developers of the Metasploit framework for hackers and penetration testers have released a module that should exploit the vulnerability on machines running Windows, Apple OS X, and Linux regardless of the browser they're using.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Heffner, like most security researchers revealing dangerous bugs, argues that releasing an exploit may be the most effective way to draw attention to severity of the problem and convince both browser and router makers to fix the fundamental vulnerability.

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Users are finding ways to exploit this weak point and the latest flaw that's come to our attention employs the pop-up browser on the Note II as an accomplice.

ENGADGET