Microsoft, Adobe and Oracle fix critical flaws

Microsoft has issued 11 patches to fix 25 flaws across Windows, Office and Exchange as part of its monthly update cycle.

Of the 11 patches, five were rated critical, five were important, and the last was moderate.

Microsoft highlighted three - MS10-019, MS10-026, and MS10-027 - as being priorities for administrators. The first affects all versions of Windows and allows for code to be executed, while the latter pair could be triggered just by visiting a malicious web page.

Microsoft's security communications manager Jerry Bryant also warned that one of the patches is a Windows Kernel update, and therefore includes a system to check for rootkits, after the last kernel update uncovered a few infections.

"For MS10-021, and for all of our kernel updates going forward, we have included detection logic for unusual conditions or modifications to the Windows Kernel binaries," Bryant said.

"If such conditions are detected, the update will return an error to the user and fail to install," he said, adding that if that happens, admins should contact Microsoft support.

While three of the patches - including two critical ones - affect Windows 7, Bryant noted that the more recent operating systems were less likely to see security flaws and need updating than their older counterparts.

"We continue to encourage customers to upgrade to the latest operating systems to benefit from the increased security protections provided by these platforms," Bryant wrote in the Microsoft security blog.

Microsoft also updated its Malicous Software Removal Tool and closed two advisories relating to VBScript and Server Message Block, saying no attacks seemed to be taking advantage of the vulnerabilities.

Microsoft also stopped supporting the Windows Vista RTM yesterday, so users should in the very least update to SP1.

Adobe and Oracle updates

Adobe also issued 15 critical updates for Reader and Acrobat, and rolled out its new automatic updater, which will see future updates installed on users' computers within 72 hours of their release.

Oracle also unleashed its quarterly update, issuing 47 fixes including 16 for Sun following its acquisition of the firm.