Washington ? A programming mistake in a popular consumer Internet protection program can give hackers control over a user’s computer, the publisher disclosed Friday.

All current versions of BlackICE Defender and BlackICE Agent, both made by Atlanta-based Internet Security Systems, running on Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP are vulnerable to the attack.

	www.iss.net

The company released an update Friday evening that plugs the hole. It can be downloaded through the ISS Web site or through the program.

Researchers at eEye Digital Security in Aliso Viejo, Calif., found the problem while probing a related hole in the product discovered earlier this week that lets hackers shut down the target computer. The patch fixes both problems.

BlackICE is designed to protect home computers particularly ones with high-speed connections from hacker attacks. Market researcher IDC recently named Internet Security Systems as the worldwide leader in intrusion detection.

The problem, called “buffer overflow,” is deep within BlackICE, said eEye’s “Chief Hacking Officer,” Marc Maiffret.