Microsoft will release six software patches next Tuesday covering flaws in its Windows operating system. The company also is planning to release an updated version of its Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, and a nonsecurity update for Windows, Microsoft said in a statement posted to its Web site Thursday.
The patches, which Microsoft calls "updates," will come as part of the company's regular monthly patch release cycle. Microsoft releases most software patches on the second Tuesday of each month, a date that has come to be known as "Patch Tuesday" by security professionals.
The company did not release any details on the specific nature of the patches, except to say that some of them will be rated "critical," meaning that flaws could allow malicious code to be installed on an affected computer without user action. The updates will require a restart on the patched computer and are detectable using the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer, Microsoft said.
The company also noted that while the software removal tool update will be available on Windows Update, Microsoft Update, Windows Server Update and Download Center, it will not be distributed using Software Update Services.
Last month, Microsoft released three patches on Patch Tuesday.
Microsoft's statement can be found here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/advance.mspx.