Last week Redmond-based software giant Microsoft announced that as part of the Patch Tuesday program, it would release 2 security bulletins this month. The bulletins would address 2 critical vulnerabilities that plague the company’s Windows operating system and the Office productivity suite.

Microsoft has now released additional information on the 2 security bulletins it released. Here is that information.

• MS10-030

Title: Vulnerability in Outlook Express and Windows Mail Could Allow Remote Code Execution
Rating: Critical (remote code execution, proof-of-concept code publicly avaialble)
Most likely attack vectors:
- Attacker intercepts and manipulates a user’s POP3 or IMAP connection to a legitimate email server.
- Attacker entices a user to connect to a malicious email server using either the POP3 or IMAP protocol
Description: A privately reported vulnerability in Outlook Express, Windows Mail, and Windows Live Mail. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user visits a malicious e-mail server. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user.
Affected software: Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Outlook Express 5.5 Service Pack 2 (Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4)
- Microsoft Outlook Express 6 (Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2)
- Microsoft Outlook Express 6 (Windows Server 2003 with SP2 for Itanium-based Systems)
- Microsoft Outlook Express 6 (Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Service Pack 2)
- Microsoft Outlook Express 6 (Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2)
- Microsoft Outlook Express 6 (Windows XP Service Pack 2)
- Microsoft Outlook Express 6 Service Pack 1 (Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4)
- Windows Internet Explorer 8 (Windows XP Service Pack 2)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows 7 for x64-based Systems)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows Vista Service Pack 1)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows Vista Service Pack 2)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 1)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows Vista x64 Edition Service Pack 2)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Service Pack 2)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows XP Service Pack 2)
- Windows Live Mail (Windows XP Service Pack 3)
- Windows Mail (Windows 7 for 32-bit Systems)
- Windows Mail (Windows 7 for x64-based Systems)
- Windows Mail (Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2)
- Windows Mail (Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems)
- Windows Mail (Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems Service Pack 2)
- Windows Mail (Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems)
- Windows Mail (Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2)
- Windows Mail (Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems)
- Windows Mail (Windows Server 2008 R2 for Itanium-based Systems)
- Windows Mail (Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems)
- Windows Mail (Windows Vista Service Pack 1)
- Windows Mail (Windows Vista Service Pack 2)
- Windows XP Service Pack 3 (Windows XP Service Pack 2)

• MS10-031

Title: Vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Could Allow Remote Code Execution
Rating: Critical (remote code execution, no known exploits)
Most likely attack vector: Consistent exploit code resulting in arbitrary code execution is not likely to be released within the next 30 days.
Description: A privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a host application opens and passes a specially crafted file to the Visual Basic for Applications runtime.
Affected software: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications
- 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 1
- 2007 Microsoft Office System Service Pack 2
- Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 3
- Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3
- Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications
- Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications SDK

Earlier this month Microsoft announced that SharePoint Server 2007 and SharePoint Services 3.0 are plagued by a XSS (cross-site scripting) vulnerability. The vulnerability in question could allow Elevation of Privilege (EoP) within the SharePoint site itself. If exploited by a person with malicious intent, the vulnerability could allow that person to run arbitrary script that could result in the elevation of privilege within the SharePoint site. This vulnerability has not been plugged during the May 2010 Patch Tuesday. Microsoft said it is not aware of any attacks exploiting this vulnerability in the wild. Still, all customers running SharePoint Server 2007 or SharePoint Services 3.0 should review and apply the mitigations presented in Security Advisory 983438 .

The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) has provided these visual representations of the May 2010 Patch Tuesday update.