Microsoft Patches Record Number of Flaws

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Microsoft Patches Record Number of Flaws
By Elizabeth Millard
October 11, 2006 9:39AM

One of the most critical flaws patched in the latest round of software fixes from Microsoft is in the Windows Shell, which, on unpatched systems, can be exploited to take complete control of a PC. The Windows Shell flaw reportedly has been used in attacks against PCs done through Internet Explorer.

As part of its monthly security patch cycle, Microsoft has released 10 updates to fix 26 software vulnerabilities, the largest number of flaws patched by the company at one time.

Six of the 10 updates were ranked "critical" by Microsoft, with the rest ranked lower in terms of seriousness. Microsoft had anticipated that it would release a large number of patches yesterday, initially predicting that there would be 11 updates altogether.

The patches include fixes for both Office and Windows, and can be downloaded manually from Microsoft's Web site or installed using Windows Update. A technical problem cropped up for those using Windows' built-in automated download tool, but Microsoft already has fixed that issue.

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