German watchdog warns of Internet Explorer breach

The German government agency overseeing IT-safety is warning of a security breach in Microsoft's Internet Explorer and recommending people use other browsers until the problem is fixed.

The Federal Office for Information Security said in a statement late Monday the browser's "weak point is already being used for targeted attacks."

Users are recommended to use alternate browser until Microsoft updates the security features

It warns the code to attack computers running on Windows XP or Windows 7 operating systems through the browser is freely available online and might therefore spread rapidly.

The agency says users of Internet Explorer versions 7, 8 or 9 should switch to alternative browsers until Microsoft updates its browser's security features.

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Microsoft Corp.'s German division was not immediately reachable for comment Tuesday morning.

Associated Press