Microsoft Issues Five Bulletins on Windows Flaws

Microsoft has released five Security Bulletins warning of several vulnerabilities that put computers running Windows at risk of attack.

The flaws affect desktop as well as server installations of multiple Windows versions. However, none are rated "critical," Microsoft's highest severity rating. The Redmond, Washington, software maker deems the issues it reported on Tuesday "important," one notch lower on its severity rating scale.

In Microsoft's rating system for security issues, vulnerabilities that could allow a malicious Internet worm to spread without any action on the part of the user are rated critical. Issues that require a user action to spread a worm, but could still expose user data or threaten system resources, are rated important.