MS Patch Day Includes Monster IE Update

For the third successive month, Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser has been updated to correct security holes that could put millions of Web surfers at risk of code execution attacks.

The cumulative IE update headlines the August release of six security bulletins from the software maker to cover eight vulnerabilities in its flagship Windows operating system. Three of the six bulletins are rated "critical," the company's highest severity rating. According to the MS05-038 bulletin, three separate remote code execution flaws are addressed in the world's most widely used browser.

First up is a vulnerability in the way IE handles JPEG images. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by creating a malicious JPEG image and luring a Web surfer to view the image.