An Internet Explorer bug publicised by a Google engineer has been exploited by hackers, according to Microsoft.

The firm flagged "targeted attacks" in its latest security bulletin.

It did not, however, draw a direct link to researcher Tavis Ormandy, who revealed the flaw in May without discussing it first with Microsoft.

Microsoft released a fix several days after the revelation. It was not the first time Mr Ormandy had gone public with Microsoft bugs.

The engineer's most recent post on the Full Disclosure site was criticised by a security expert, because he not only mentioned the existence of the bug but actually provided technical details of the vulnerability in Windows 7 and Windows 8 that could be exploited by hackers.Hackers Exploit Microsoft IE Bug After Google Engineer Went Public With The Code [bbc.co.uk]