MS-DEFCON 2: Black Tuesday patches are out

And what a crop they are…

As expected, Microsoft has just released 13 Security Bulletins which plug 26 separately identified security holes in Windows and Office. The list is mind-numbing.

According to SANS Internet Storm Center, only one of the Security Bulletins has a known exploit. That Bulletin, MS10-015, covers a 17-year-old security hole in Windows that I described two weeks ago. I wouldn’t worry about it for the moment.

The MS Security Research & Defense page has details about potential attack vectors, and speculation about how soon the bad guys will be able to take advantage of the security holes.

Keep yer shirt on. Let’s see how things shake out. We remain at MS-DEFCON 2: Patch reliability is unclear. Unless you have an immediate, pressing need to install a specific patch, don’t do it.