Since this story was originally reported, it has been updated to correct the date on which Microsoft issued its Advance Notification bulletin.With online attackers taking advantage of holes in its Office software, Microsoft plans to release seven software patches next week.Four of the updates will fix bugs in Windows, while another three will address flaws in Microsoft Office, Microsoft said Thursday in a bulletin on its website. Both sets of patches will address critical flaws, which attackers could exploit to run unauthorized code on a PC without any user action. The patches will be released on July 11 as part of Microsoft’s regularly scheduled monthly security updates. Microsoft’s advance note on the updates can be found online. The new software will likely fix a number of publicly reported vulnerabilities in Office, some of which concern Excel, said Gunter Ollmann, director of Internet Security Systems’ X-Force threat analysis service.Last month, Microsoft confirmed that it was investigating three issues that relate to Office, following reports that hackers had launched a targeted attack, against an unnamed government contractor, that took advantage of a bug in its Excel spreadsheet software. Two of the bugs could be used to compromise a PC, but they would first require user action like opening a malicious document and clicking on hyperlinks. The third appears to be less critical, but it could be used to run an unauthorized ActiveX control, Microsoft said.On Thursday, another bug was added to the mix, with security vendor Secunia warning of a flaw affecting Asian language versions of Excel. As with the other bugs, victims would need to be tricked into doing a little work before compromising their systems, but if this were to happen, attackers could run their malicious software on the PC, Secunia said.More details on this latest flaw can be found online.The seven patches may keep system administrators busy next week, but not as busy as they were in June. Last month, Microsoft released 12 security updates.-Robert McMillan, IDG News Service (San Francisco Bureau)Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by AWS in collaboration with IBM How digital twin technology is changing complex industrial processes forever As the use cases for digital twins proliferate, it is becoming clear that data-driven enterprises with a track record of innovation stand the best chance of success. By Laura McEwan Dec 05, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by AWS in collaboration with IBM Why modernising applications needs to be a ‘must’ for businesses seeking growth Around one-third of enterprises are spending heavily on application modernisation and aiming for cloud native status. The implications for corporate culture, structure and priorities will be profound. By Laura McEwan Dec 05, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation opinion 11 ways to reduce your IT costs now Reorienting IT’s budget toward future opportunities is a big reason why CIOs should review their IT portfolios with an eye toward curbing unnecessary spending and realizing maximum value from every IT investment. By Stephanie Overby Dec 05, 2023 11 mins Budget Cloud Management IT Governance news analysis SAP faces breakdown in trust over innovation plans The company’s plan to offer future innovations in S/4HANA only to subscribers of its Rise with SAP offering is alienating customers, user conference hears. By Peter Sayer Dec 05, 2023 6 mins SAP Cloud Management Innovation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe