14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft today released a total of seven updates to fix one critical and six important bugs it found in Windows, Office and some other products in its software family.
All updates are automatically delivered via Windows Update, but Microsoft recommends those who prioritize deployment to install the critical patch first.
The fixes address 20 issues in Microsoft Windows, SQL Server and Office software such as SharePoint, Lync, Microsoft Works and InfoPath.
“Customers should plan to install all of these updates as soon as possible. For those who must prioritize deployment, we recommend focusing on the critical update,” Microsoft said.
The critical update was designed to repair an Office security flaw that would allow an attacker to run malicious code on the vulnerable system.
“This security update resolves two issues in Microsoft Office. This bulletin has a severity rating of Critical and can result in remote code execution. Only one of the two issues addressed by this bulletin is rated Critical, but in that case, an attacker could run code in the context of the logged- on user if they were to open a specially crafted Rich Text Format (RTF) file or previews or open a specially crafted RTF email message,” a Microsoft statement reads.
The Redmond-based technology company also rolled out the first Windows 8 update ahead of the new operating system’s public debut. The updates are designed to improve the overall performance of the OS, but also to improve battery life on tablet devices and laptops. Again, all updates are delivered via Windows Update, so only minimum user input is required.