Microsoft released six security bulletins to fix 15 vulnerabilities in this month’s Patch Tuesday. Three of these security advisories (MSO9-063, MS09-064, MS09-65) are considered “critical” while the other three have been dubbed “important.”

MS09-067 deals with eight security holes plaguing Microsoft Excel that when successfully exploited can allow remote code execution when users open a specially crafted .XLS file. Users are thus strongly advised to update their systems as soon as possible, as these vulnerabilities (especially those rated “critical”) can be used by cybercriminals to execute worms and drive-by download malware attacks on their systems.

Apart from Microsoft, Adobe also addressed a vulnerability found in Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.0 and 7.0. The said vulnerability can allow cybercriminals to execute commands on the affected system. Though no solution has yet been provided, Adobe issued a workaround that users must apply to avoid infection.

Apple also joined the patch bandwagon as it released its own set of patches to address 58 vulnerabilities affecting Mac OS X. When exploited, some of these security holes can give a malicious user full access to a system. The fixes deal with issues in opening downloaded files and problems with administrator authentication.

Everyone is vulnerable to threats lurking in the Web today. With that in mind, users are encouraged to apply these patches immediately.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!