Three critical patches on tap from Microsoft

Next Tuesday's regular monthly distribution of security patches will include three for DirectX, Windows Media, and Internet Explorer.

Of the seven patches in the next Patch Tuesday package from Microsoft, all three critical patches will be for remote code execution issues. The first two, for DirectX and DirectShow as well as the Windows Media Format Runtime, will not require a restart.

The final critical patch, intended for Internet Explorer, will require a restart. It is also somewhat likely that this patch may be a cumulative one: Often when Microsoft patches issues with its browsers, it fixes several problems at once.

Of the important updates, two are for remote code execution problems within Windows, and require a restart. The other two are for various elevation of privilege issues, and also are intended for Windows itself.