June Patch Tuesday to Fix 9 Critical Windows Flaws

Microsoft plans to release a heavy Patch Tuesday, with 16 security updates addressing a total of 34 different vulnerabilities in Windows, the Internet Explorer web browser, Office software, SQL Server and various other products. The patches will begin to roll out starting June 14, 2011 via Windows Updates.

Andrew Storms, nCircle Security director of security operations, says he isn't surprised by the weight of this month's Patch Tuesday.

"It's the usual mishmash for an even-numbered month," Storms said. "But to some degree, we expected a big month. And they stayed true to form." (Source: computerworld.com)

Nine Windows Updates Marked "Critical"

Of the 16 security updates Microsoft due tomorrow, more than half are marked "critical," the Redmond-based firm's highest security threat level. Those not marked critical have all been pegged "important," the second-highest threat level.

This month's security updates target a total of 10 different vulnerabilities, eight of which directly affect Windows 7.

The number of fixes for Windows 7 aren't surprising, however. "A lot more people are moving to Windows 7, and the bugs are going to follow the user base," noted Storms.

All Windows Versions Affected by Patch Release

The focus on Windows 7 doesn't mean Vista and XP users are immune: the updates affect all three Windows operating systems.

Both Internet Explorer and Office receive two updates each, while attention is also paid to SQL Server, Microsoft Visual Studio, and both the .Net and Silverlight frameworks. (Source: zdnet.com)

Surprisingly, this isn't the largest Patch Tuesday this year. Back in April the company addressed 64 flaws in its various products.