Credit: Mike Blake/Reuters Microsoft has issued six security updates, fixing critical bugs in Windows components ranging from Internet Explorer to the Microsoft NetWare client service.The updates were released Tuesday morning local time as part of Microsoft’s monthly cycle of security patches. Five of this month’s updates are rated critical by Microsoft, meaning that these bugs could be exploited by attackers to run unauthorized software on a system without user action. Microsoft rates the sixth update, which fixes the NetWare flaw, as “important.”The updates also fix Microsoft’s XML parser, the Windows Workstation service, the Microsoft Agent and the Macromedia Flash Player that is distributed with the operating system. According to Symantec, the most critical of the updates is the Workstation service patch. “This issue can be exploited by remote anonymous attackers on Windows 2000, Windows XP and possibly Windows Server 2003 systems,” Symantec said in a statement. “A wide variety of component technologies and services are impacted by this issue which has potential for a worm-style attack.” The Internet Explorer update is important, because unlike many of the other services being patched this month, Internet Explorer (IE) can easily be targeted by attack code placed on a website, said Roger Thompson, cofounder and chief technology officer with Exploit Prevention Labs. “I think IE is always the most critical,” he said via instant message.Because hackers have posted attack code that exploits a hole in the XML parser, the XML update is also noteworthy, he said. Symantec also flagged the XML update. “All supported versions of Internet Explorer (including the new Internet Explorer 7.0) make use of this functionality and are susceptible to possible attack,” the company said. “This is a publicly known vulnerability that is currently being exploited in the wild.”November’s update is the last for users of Microsoft’s Software Update Services (SUS), which will no longer be supported as of Dec. 6. Microsoft is advising SUS users to upgrade to Windows Server Update Services 2.0 before the next security update, scheduled for Dec. 12.-Robert McMillan, IDG News Service (San Francisco Bureau) Related content feature 10 most popular IT certifications for 2023 Certifications are a great way to show employers you have the right IT skills and specializations for the job. These 10 certs are the ones IT pros are most likely to pursue, according to data from Dice. By Sarah K. White May 26, 2023 8 mins Certifications Careers interview Stepping up to the challenge of a global conglomerate CIO role Dr. Amrut Urkude became CIO of Reliance Polyester after his company was acquired by Reliance Industries. He discusses challenges IT leaders face while transitioning from a small company to a large multinational enterprise, and how to overcome them. By Yashvendra Singh May 26, 2023 7 mins Digital Transformation Careers brandpost With the new financial year looming, now is a good time to review your Microsoft 365 licenses By Veronica Lew May 25, 2023 5 mins Lenovo news Alteryx works in generative AI for speedy analytics results OpenAI integration and AI wizardry for report generation are aimed at making Alteryx’s analytics products more accessible. By Jon Gold May 25, 2023 3 mins Analytics 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