Monthly Update Time: Microsoft Plans to Issue 'Critical' Fixes

Microsoft plans to release a total of ten security fixes, including "critical" Windows updates, during its Monthly Security Bulletin release scheduled for June 14. The company also plans to release an updated version of its Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, Microsoft said Thursday.

Though the company released few details on the updates, they will include "moderate" fixes covering Microsoft Services for UNIX, as well as Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server and Small Business Server. An "important" security update for Exchange is also planned, the company said in a statement published on the company's Web site.

Microsoft has deemed some of these updates critical, meaning that the vulnerability could allow malicious code to spread without user action, but some critical vulnerabilities may be far less likely to be exploited than others, says Russ Cooper, senior scientist at Cybertrust and editor of the NTBugtraq discussion list. Until Microsoft provides more details, it is impossible to tell whether these updates will mitigate any significant security risks, he says.

"The importance is in the details," Cooper says.

Those details will be released Tuesday and then discussed during the monthly Microsoft Security Bulletin Webcast, scheduled for Wednesday. Specifics may be found at the company's Security Bulletin page. You can sign up for automatic fixes for Windows at Windows Update.