Microsoft planning 17 security bulletins for April

Microsoft will release security fixes next week for flaws in Windows, Office and Internet Explorer.

The company said that the 12 April monthly release will comprise 17 bulletins addressing 64 flaws. Nine of the bulletins are rated 'critical', while the remaining eight have been given a less severe 'important' rating.

Fifteen of the 17 bulletins address vulnerabilities which if exploited could allow an attacker to remotely execute code on a targeted system. The remaining two address an elevation of privilege vulnerability and an information disclosure flaw.

Microsoft has not given specifics on the flaws, but 'critical' ratings are often given to vulnerabilities which can be exploited remotely without user interaction or notification.

The severity of the flaws can also vary by operating system and software version. Only seven of the bulletins are listed as 'critical' for Windows XP, while Windows 7 will see eight 'critical' updates.

Other products which will receive updates include the Windows and Mac versions of Microsoft Office, as well as Microsoft's Visual Studio and Visual C++ developer tools. All of these fixes have been classified as 'important'.

Microsoft will also deliver an update for the Windows Malicious Software Removal tool and a non-security update for the Windows Update and Microsoft Update components.