Microsoft plugs Hotmail hole

Microsoft promised to prevent any future attacks on its Hotmail service after millions of users had their e-mail accounts exposed on the Internet.

Several Web sites posted HTML code that exploited a glitch in Hotmail, allowing anyone read, send or delete mail from an account simply by typing in a user name. Microsoft took its Hotmail servers down for several hours to repair the breach.

A company spokesperson said the hack required a "very advanced knowledge of Web development language." Several computer experts, however, said the code that took advantage of the Hotmail hole was actually quite simple. One expert called it "pathetically easy" to write.

With 40 to 50 million users, Hotmail is the largest e-mail service. Microsoft said it had no immediate plans to notify users that their accounts may have been read.

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