Microsoft skips patch for PowerPoint add-on

Microsoft fixed eight flaws in Windows and Office today, but passed on patching one Windows component because it cannot be automatically updated.

The eight bugs patched today were far from the near-record 26 that Microsoft fixed last month when it delivered 13 security updates. Both of today's bulletins were ranked "important," the second-highest rating in Microsoft's four-step severity scoring system, even though the company acknowledged that the eight vulnerabilities could be used to completely compromise a Windows PC.

Although security experts recommended that users deploy the Office fix first, several argued today that the Windows update was more interesting because Microsoft declined to patch one of the two pieces of involved software.