Editing Internet Explorer (section)

===Vulnerability exploited in attacks on U.S. firms===
{{Main|Operation Aurora}}
In an advisory on January 14, 2010, Microsoft said that attackers targeting Google and other U.S. companies used software that exploits a security hole, which had already been patched, in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability affected Internet Explorer 6 from on Windows XP and Server 2003, IE6 SP1 on Windows 2000 SP4, IE7 on Windows Vista, XP, Server 2008, and Server 2003, IE8 on Windows 7, Vista, XP, Server 2003, and Server 2008 (R2).<ref>{{cite news |title=New IE hole exploited in attacks on U.S. firms |first=Elinor |last=Mills |newspaper=[[CNET News]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |date=January 14, 2010 |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10435232-245.html |access-date=September 26, 2010 |archive-date=December 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224110914/http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10435232-245.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Germany|German government]] warned users against using Internet Explorer and recommended switching to an alternative web browser, due to the major security hole described above that was [[Operation Aurora#Attack analysis|exploited in Internet Explorer]].<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8463516.stm | work=BBC News | title=Germany issues Explorer warning | date=January 16, 2010 | access-date=March 26, 2010 | first=Daniel | last=Emery}}</ref> The Australian and French governments also issued a similar warning a few days later.<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8465038.stm | work=BBC News | title=France in fresh Explorer warning | date=January 18, 2010 | access-date=March 26, 2010 | first=Jonathan | last=Fildes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/19/2795684.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123001337/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/19/2795684.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 23, 2010 |title=Govt issues IE security warning |author=Emily Bourke for AM |date=January 19, 2010 |publisher=abc.net.au |access-date=September 26, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/techchron/detail?&entry_id=55509 | title=The Technology Chronicles : France and Germany warn users not to use Internet Explorer | first=Alejandro | last=Martinez-Cabrera | date=January 18, 2010 | work=The San Francisco Chronicle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/microsoft/7011626/Germany-warns-against-using-Microsoft-Internet-Explorer.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/microsoft/7011626/Germany-warns-against-using-Microsoft-Internet-Explorer.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | title=Germany warns against using Microsoft Internet Explorer | first=Fiona | last=Govan | date=January 18, 2010 | access-date=March 26, 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref>