Microsoft plugs five holes in graphics code

Microsoft released four patches on Tuesday, closing five critical flaws in its widely used graphics device interface (GDI+) library as well as three security holes in its other software products.

The security vulnerabilities in the GDI+ library affect a wide number of applications, because the library itself is a common component of Windows applications. All five vulnerabilities patched by Microsoft's GDI+ update are rated critical for at least one of the company's applications or operating systems, according to Microsoft's security bulletin.

Attackers could create specially-crafted images that would compromise a victim's system through its Web browser, security experts stated.