Next week's Microsoft patch fest will include nine security updates, spanning a wide range of products. Six of them earned a rating of critical, reserved for the most severe vulnerabilities and apply to Windows, Internet Explorer and Office.

According to a blog item from Microsoft security program manager Christopher Budd, next week's release will include:

• Six bulletins affecting Windows with a maximum severity rating of critical. They will require a reboot of Windows.

• One bulletin affecting Microsoft Office with a maximum severity rating of critical. It will not require a reboot.

• One Bulletin affecting Microsoft Virtual PC and Microsoft Virtual Server with a maximum severity rating of important. It will require a restart.

All updates will be detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.

At least one of the critical vulnerabilities involves Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Vista, both of which were conceived under new and highly vaunted development rigors designed to produce more secure products.

Last month Redmond pushed out six security updates. Three of them were rated critical and affected Excel, Windows Active Directory, and .NET Framework.

Microsoft also plans to update the Malicious Software Removal Tool in Windows and to issue four high-priority, non-security updates, two on Microsoft Update and two on Windows Update.

Microsoft has long issued updates on the second Tuesday of each month. Today's announcement is part of a practice Microsoft started in June in which bare-bones details are given on the Thursday preceding Patch Tuesday, so system administrators can plan accordingly. ®

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