Microsoft has issued an advisory for users of Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 that warns if you use Internet Explorer on your Windows machine, you might be at risk due to the way VBScript interacts with Windows Help files when using IE.

The short explanation is: If you use IE on one of the affected versions of Windows, don’t press the F1 key if prompted by a pop up window from a web site! Doing so could lead to remote code execution. In other words, authors of viruses, trojan horses and other malware now have a new way into your system.

If you run Windows 2000, XP or Server 2003, a simple way to avoid the issue is to run Mozilla Firefox as your default browser to replace the flaw-prone Internet Explorer. In the mean time, Microsoft is investigating the issue and expects to release a patch in a future Windows Update.

Users of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008 are not affected.

For more information: Microsoft Security Advisory #981169