Microsoft's next Patch Tuesday to fix 57 security bugs
Tuesday's update will send out 12 security fixes to plug a total of 57 holes in various Microsoft products.
Microsoft is deploying a larger bunch of bug fixes this month than usual.
Next week's Patch Tuesday will address 57 different security vulnerabilities through 12 separate updates.
The bugs stretch across a range of programs, including Windows, Internet Explorer, Windows Server, Microsoft Exchange, and Microsoft's .Net Framework.
Five of the 12 patches are rated critical, so they're designed to patch holes that could allow someone to execute malicious code on an unprotected PC. Two of the critical patches are aimed at all versions of Internet Explorer from 6 through 10. That means all current versions of Windows with IE installed are at risk, including Windows 8 and Windows RT.
The third critical patch is geared toward Windows XP and Vista as well as Server 2003, while the fourth applies only to Microsoft Exchange. The fifth critical one affects just Windows XP.
As always, the critical patches will automatically install for any Windows users with automatic updates enabled.
The remaining seven patches are rated important, which means they must be installed manually. Microsoft recommends that important patches do be installed as they also can prevent Windows computers from being compromised.