Three "critical" patches to be in Microsoft security update
Microsoft is planning to next week release 14 patches to fix 20 vulnerabilities across its product line, the company announced Thursday.
Tuesday's monthly security update, to be released around 1 p.m. EST, will come with three "critical" and 11 "important" bulletins to plug holes in Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, Publisher and Windows Media Player. Most of the vulnerabilities, if exploited, can lead to remote code execution.
It is unclear if the update will include remediation for an unpatched Windows Kernel vulnerability, disclosed just prior to the November patches, which aids in the spread of the Duqu trojan. In addition to describing the planned fixes, Angela Gunn, a senior response communications manager for Microsoft Trusworthy Computing, announced in a Thursday blog post that there is now "greater transparency" around the Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP).
