Microsoft plugs 26 holes on Patch Tuesday

Some users are not automatically getting the fix

11 October 2006 13:49 GMT / By Amber Maitland

Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday has seen a record 26 flaws receive a fix through ten different patches.

Some computers, however, may not have received the automatic security updates as usual because of a problem with Microsoft’s delivery system, which is it trying to solve. Users worried about a vulnerable system can manually download the patches by visiting Microsoft’s website.

The total number of “critical” patches number six, and cover PowerPoint, Excel, and Word flaws, amongst others. Each of the critical vulnerabilities allows remote code execution through a malicious web page or file.

One of the most important patches is one that fixes a flaw in the WebFolderView Active X file that affects IE and has already been hacked.

A couple of the fixes also apply to the Windows Vista operating system, which is being trialed by selected beta testers. Microsoft hasn’t said which bugs are being fixed.

Two of the patches affect Office software for Apple Mac, and are rated simply “important”.

Full tags

Software, Online, Viruses And Malware, Microsoft