The German government has warned web users to find an alternative browser to Internet Explorer to protect security.
The warning from the Federal Office for Information Security comes after Microsoft admitted IE was the weak link in recent attacks on Google's systems.
Microsoft says the security hole can be shut by setting the browser's security zone to "high", although this limits functionality and blocks many websites.
However, German authorities say that even this would not make IE fully safe.
Speaking to BBC News, Graham Cluley of anti-virus firm Sophos said the warning applied to versions 6, 7 and 8 of the browser.
"This is a vulnerability that was announced in the last couple of days. Microsoft have no patch yet and the implication is that this is the same one that exploited on the attacks on Google earlier this week," he said.
"The way to exploit this flaw has now appeared on the internet, so it is quite possible that everyone is now going to have a go."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8463516.stm
