REDMOND, Wash., July 13 (UPI) -- U.S. software giant Microsoft issued four security updates Tuesday to patch five Windows and Office vulnerabilities it rated "critical."
Four of the five software weaknesses were given an exploitability index score of "1" by Microsoft, meaning hackers were expected to begin attacking computer systems within 30 days, Computerworld reported Tuesday.
Computer experts urged users to download the most important update, MS10-042, which patches a security loophole in Windows XP's Help and Support Center.
"This is actively being exploited to target XP desktop systems," Jason Miller, data and security team manager for Shavlik Technologies, told Computerworld.
"I'm impressed that Microsoft was able to do a turnaround on this as quickly as they did. Some bugs linger for months out there," Miller said.
