A FLAW IN software that supports the Internet's DNS (Domain Name System) for translating text-based Web addresses to numeric IP (Internet Protocol) addresses can put Internet-connected systems at risk, experts warned.

The flaw lies in two versions of the DNS resolver library, which is not only used in DNS servers, but also in network hardware such as routers and switches, said Joost Pol, a security consultant at Pine Internet in The Hague, Netherlands, on Monday.

"This code was written a long time ago and distributed for free, it is widespread," said Pol, who wrote the first alert on the issue last week. "This is essential software that runs on the client and on the server."

Infoworld