Microsoft is to release a slew of new patches on 12 April as part of its monthly upgrade cycle, the company said in a posting on its website.

The release contains a total of eight security updates, five of which repair vulnerabilities in Windows. The others address issues in Office, MSN Messenger and Exchange. Most of the vulnerabilities are rated 'critical'.

Microsoft will also release an updated version of its Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, along with two updates for Windows that are non-security related. The updates can be deployed through Microsoft's Software Update Services (see link below).

The company declined to provide any additional information about the vulnerabilities prior to the release of the patches.