Four security updates labeled with a security rating of Critical are on the way from Microsoft and will be made available on June 12, 2007. Additionally, the company is also preparing another two patches for vulnerabilities rated as Important and Moderate. Of course that the highest degree of risk is delivered by the vulnerabilities associated with the four Critical security updates.

Microsoft is getting ready to patch Windows, Internet Explorer, Outlook and Windows Mail, Office and Visio. "This month, we're planning to release six security bulletins: four Microsoft Security Bulletins affecting Microsoft Windows with a Maximum Severity rating of Critical, one Microsoft Security Bulletins affecting Microsoft Office with a Maximum Severity rating of Important and one Microsoft Security Bulletin affecting Microsoft Windows with a Maximum Severity rating of Moderate," revealed Mark Griesi, Security Product Manager on the Security Response Center at Microsoft.

According to the Redmond Company, Windows Vista is among the most affected items, with no less than three out of the six security bulletins impacting the operating system. Moreover, two of the Critical updates address vulnerabilities in Windows Vista components, such as Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Mail. Of course, in this context, Microsoft will claim that the flaws do not actually reside in the Vista code, but on the applications bundled with the operating system. One thing that Microsoft has not made clear is the actual number of vulnerabilities associated with the six security bulletins, and if any of the flaws are subject to attacks in the wild.

"We also have an update to the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, and we are planning to release seven high-priority non-security update on Microsoft Update. No non-security updates are planned for Windows Update this month. As we do every month, I would like to remind everyone that the information in the Advance Notification is subject to change as we continue testing until we release on Tuesday," Griesi added.