Next Tuesday, November 10, Microsoft will release security patches for Windows and related software on its usual monthly cycle. According to the Security Bulletin Advance Notification, Microsoft will issue six security bulletins next Tuesday to address a variety of different vulnerabilities. All supported versions of Windows, except for the recently released Windows 7, are affected by at least one Critical vulnerability; Microsoft Office software, specifically Excel and Word, is also affected in all supported versions. The table below gives the breakdown:
| Windows Version | Critical | Important |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 2000 | 2 | 1 |
| Windows XP | 1 | 1 |
| Windows Vista | 1 | 1 |
| Windows Server 2003 | 1 | 1 |
| Windows Server 2008 | 1 | 2 |
| Microsoft Office | — | 2 |
Most of these, unfortunately, will probably require a reboot. As usual, the severity ratings and other details may change when the final advisory is issued on Tuesday, I will post an update here on Tuesday once the actual bulletins are released.
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