Microsoft Readies Two Patches for Tuesday
Microsoft last week said it will release only two security updates on Tuesday -- down from the 11 issued in October's mammoth Patch Tuesday -- to fix bugs in Windows and Office.
One of the two will be rated "critical," Microsoft's highest threat ranking, while the other will be tagged as "important," the next-lowest rating. Both of the updates will address vulnerabilities that can be used to execute remote code, a description that generally means hackers could leverage the bugs in order to plant their own malicious code on vulnerable PCs, often by convincing users to open a file attachment or tricking them into visiting a rogue Web site.
The most serious of the pair targets one or more flaws in Microsoft XML Core Services, and will require patching all still-supported editions of Windows -- including Windows 2000 , XP, Vista , Server 2003 and Server 2008 -- as well as Office 2003 , Office 2007, SharePoint Server 2007 and Groove Server 2007.
