Microsoft plugs critical Windows holes
Microsoft has released 8 security patches, three of which are rated 'critical', the highest severity rating which indicates that a system can be affected without requiring any user interaction.
In addition to the critical flaws, Microsoft unveiled four fixes rated 'important' and two rated 'moderate'. Except for one patch isued for both Exchange and Windows, all fixes affect the Windows operating system.
The critical patches affect DirectX versions 7 through 8.1, Internet Explorer 5.01 through 6 and a the MSDTC and Com+ components of Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows 2003.
