Critical IE, Office, Windows Patches on Deck

Microsoft plans to release eight security bulletins on April 8 to patch multiple security vulnerabilities affecting Windows, Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer users. As part of its pre-release advance notice mechanism, the Redmond, Wash., software vendor said five of the eight bulletins will be rated "critical," Microsoft's highest severity rating.

The remaining three bulletins will be rated "important."

Resource Library:

A "critical" rating is attached to any vulnerability that can be exploited to allow the propagation of an Internet worm without user action. Microsoft uses the "important" rating on flaws that can be exploited to result in a compromise of the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of users' data, or of the integrity or availability of processing resources.

The five critical bulletins will provide cover for holes in Windows, Office and Internet Explorer.

According to Microsoft's notice, four of the critical issues will affect its newest operating systems—Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

With the April batch, the total bulletin count for 2008 stands at 25.