If you haven't hit the Windows Update button yet today, you should. Microsoft released fixes for twenty vulnerabilities for a number of its products (Windows included). The fixes arrived in a dozen security bulletins, released as part of Microsoft's monthly patch cycle. Six of the alerts were tagged "critical," the company's most serious rating. These flaws could enable an attacker to gain complete control over a vulnerable computer with no action, or minor action, on the part of the user, Microsoft warned. The critical vulnerabilities are in Windows, Internet Explorer, Office and in Microsoft security tools such as Windows Live OneCare and Windows Defender. None of the Windows or Office flaws affect Vista or Office 2007, Microsoft's latest updates. However, Windows Defender ships as part of Vista, so the new operating system is at risk from that direction.

CRITICAL:
- Vulnerability in HTML Help ActiveX Control Could Allow Remote Code Execution (928843)
- Vulnerability in Microsoft Data Access Components Could Allow Remote Code Execution(927779)
- Vulnerability in Microsoft Malware Protection Engine Could Allow Remote Code Execution (932135)
- Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word Could Allow Remote Code Execution (929434)
- Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Could Allow Remote Code Execution (932554)
- Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (928090)