Microsoft delivers hefty load for Patch Tuesday

Microsoft has released the October 2009 edition of its monthly security update.

The latest "patch Tuesday" offering from Redmond consists of 13 separate bulletins which address a total of 34 security flaws in various components of Windows, Internet Explorer and Office.

Of the 13 bulletins, eight have been given a security rating of 'critical,' Microsoft's highest alert level. The remain five bulletins have been rated at an 'important' risk level.

The eight critical bulletins include fixes for components in Server Message Block, Windows Media Player and Runtime as well as software for Internet Explorer, Active Template Library, .NET and GDI Library. All eight of the bulletins fix flaws which, if targeted, could allow an attacker to remotely execute code on a targeted system.

The five important bulletins include two fixes for remote code execution flaws as well as a pair of patches for denial of service vulnerabilities, a spoofing flaw and an elevation of privilege vulnerability.

The update also includes four updates for Windows 7, three rated as important and one rated as critical. The company plans to formally release Windows 7 later this month.

The company said that the update will also contain a re-issue for a previously-patched flaw in the XML Core Services component of Windows to expand the coverage of the patch.

Users can download the security update through the Microsoft Update application or from the company's download site.