This month Patch Tuesday is May 13, just one week after releasing an out-of-band patch for an Internet Explorer zero day, Microsoft has provided Patch Tuesday security updates that will include another critical patch for the Internet Explorer browser.
However, even though the vulnerabilities affect Windows XP, Microsoft is holding the line on WinXP updates: “Our existing policy remains in place, and as such, Microsoft no longer supports Windows XP. We continue to encourage customers to migrate to a modern operating system, such as Windows 7 or 8.1,” a Microsoft spokesman said.
What Microsoft failed to mention is that Windows XP users have other choices, I.E. Apple and Linux, as most users dislike Windows 8. In fact, I have heard the descriptor "Hate" many times used in conjunction with Windows 8.
Back to Patch Tuesday:
8 Bulletins - Two are rated Critical, and 6 are rated as important.
Bulletin 1, rated Critical is aimed at Microsoft Windows (all actively supported versions) Internet Explorer. Bulletin 1 requires a reboot on the system.
Bulletin 2, rated Critical affects all supported Microsoft Server Software, Productivity Software, including Microsoft Office, to prevent remote execution of code.
Bulletin 3, rated Important, is specifically for Microsoft Office, to prevent remote execution of code.
Bulletin 4, rated Important, impacts Microsoft Windows, to prevent remote Elevation of Privilege.
Bulletin 5, rated Important, targets Microsoft Windows and Microsoft .NET Framework, to prevent remote Elevation of Privilege.
Bulletin 6, rated Important, affects Microsoft Windows, to prevent remote Elevation of Privilege.
Bulletin 7, rated Important, targets Microsoft Windows, to prevent remote Denial of Service attacks.
Bulletin 8, rated Important, targets Microsoft Windows, to prevent remote Security Feature Bypass.
Bottom Line: If you are using Apple or Linux, you don't have to do anything - this email is not for you.
Windows Users: Be sure to restart your Windows computers and servers Wednesday morning