Microsoft Releases Security Patch for Windows

Microsoft will release an emergency security patch for Windows. It's rated critical for users of Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. A critical flow is fretful because it can be exploited by online attackers to seize control of the PC.

 

The flaw is considered to be a less serious risk for users of the Windows Vista and Server 2008 operating systems Microsoft said in an advisory on the issue.

For years, Microsoft has released its patches on a predetermined day -- the second Tuesday of every month -- but it has occasionally released patches ahead of schedule when bugs have been actively exploited by computer criminals.

The last such emergency patch issued by Microsoft was in April 2007, when the company fixed a bug in the way Windows processes .ani animated cursor files. That flaw was publicly known and being exploited in attack code hosted on hundreds of Web sites.