In one of the largest security updates since moving to a monthly patch release cycle, Microsoft Corp. today issued 12 bulletins detailing fixes for 21 separate vulnerabilities in a wide range of products.

Eight of the bulletins and 12 of the vulnerabilities were rated "critical" by the company. Three bulletins detailed fixes for "important" flaws, while one described a flaw of moderate severity. The vulnerabilities disclosed today affect several Microsoft products, including Internet Explorer (IE), Windows Media Player, Microsoft Outlook and PowerPoint.

Today's (June 13, 2006) announcement is "certainly one that people need to sit up and take notice of," said Michael Sutton, director of VeriSign Inc.'s iDefense Labs. He also noted that most of the critical flaws disclosed today are on the client side, highlighting a continuing trend away from server-side security issues.

"Client-side vulnerabilities have become one of the most prominent methods by which computers become infected today," Oliver Friedrichs, director of Symantec Corp.'s security response group, said in a statement. "Today's release continues that trend" and highlights the danger users face simply by visiting certain Web sites, he said.

News source: Computerworld