Microsoft plans to release fixes for twelve security bulletins tomorrow, three of which have been deemed “critical”. Those who don’t bother with the update could find themselves vulnerable to several remote execution threats. Security experts are referring to this Patch Tuesday as an important bit of “spring cleaning” on the part of Microsoft, but it’s not alone in providing vital fixes this week. Adobe will also be releasing security updates for its Reader and Acrobat ns on Tuesday.
If your computer doesn’t automatically do system updates, you’ll have to manually download and install the updates. To do that, in Internet Explorer, go to http://update.microsoft.com. You should be prompted to install critical updates.
In addition, Microsoft has issued a formal warning that all versions of the Windows are vulnerable to a new exploit. The vulnerability could allow attackers access to sensitive data (such as passwords) after a user unknowingly clicks on a malicious web link. The flaw is related to the way online content is viewed via the web browser Internet Explorer (IE) but not Firefox or Chrome. Microsoft late last week admitted that the vulnerability exists and that it affects every version of Windows, from Windows XP to Windows 7. For those committed to using Internet Explorer, Microsoft has posted a temporary FixIt solution. Microsoft has assured IE users that the workaround will not dramatically affect the way the browser performs.
Adobe is planning to release updates for Adobe Reader X (10.0) for Windows and Macintosh, Adobe Reader 9.4.1 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintos, Adobe Acrobat X (10.0) for Windows and Macintosh, and Adobe Acrobat 9.4.1 and earlier versions for Windows and Macintosh to resolve critical security issues. Adobe expects to make updates for Windows and Macintosh available on Tuesday, February 8, 2011. You should be prompted by your program to do the update.