From Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 to Apple Safari, popular Internet browsers have taken a bit of a public beating the week of March 16. Even as hackers continue to focus most of their attention on Web applications, exploits targeting the browser always make juicy tidbits for black hats.

In Cenzic's Web Application Security Trends Report, (PDF) released March 18, the vulnerability assessment and risk management software company found that there was 7 percent increase in the number of browser vulnerabilities in the second half of 2008. Microsoft Internet Explorer accounted for 43 percent of that total, with Mozilla Firefox following closely with 39 percent. Apple Safari and Opera Software's Opera browser accounted for 10 and 8 percent, respectively.

Then there was the Pwn2Own contest. Hosted by TippingPoint, the annual hacking event at CanSecWest this year saw security on IE, Safari and Firefox all go down for the count.

With all this as a backdrop, it should be noted that browser security in general is improving, some researchers said. The past few years have seen an increasing amount of security built into browsers, ranging from IE 8's cross-site scripting filter to the sandboxing in Google Chrome, which Charlie Miller, one of the prize winners at the 2009 Pwn2Own event, said limits the amount of damage that can be done.

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