Microsoft Readies a Dozen Patches
Windows administrators will be busy next week, as Microsoft plans to release a whopping 12 security patches for its products. The updates will include a fix for a widely reported vulnerability in Microsoft Word, as well as changes to the way Internet Explorer handles ActiveX that might cause headaches for some. Nine of the patches will address vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system, some of which Microsoft rates critical, according to the security bulletin about the patches. There will also be one "Important" fix for Microsoft Exchange, and two patches for Microsoft Office, including software that repairs the Word bug. In May, hackers began e-mailing the Word malware to a handful of victims--mostly within government agencies or contractors--in a series of extremely targeted attacks, said Johannes Ullrich, chief research officer at the SANS Institute. But as knowledge of the Word flaw has spread, researchers like Ullrich fear that it may be used in a more widespread attack.
