Others, including Kandek and Marcus Carey of Rapid7, didn't call out a single update for special attention, but instead noted that the three critical bulletins, as well as two labeled important, should be patched as soon as possible next week.

Both updates rated important can result in what Microsoft calls "remote code execution" -- meaning attackers could hijack a PC if they successfully exploited the vulnerabilities -- and were aimed at Excel and Visio.

Two of the four Office updates will apply to the 2008 and 2011 editions of Office for Mac.

Storms also commented on Microsoft's apparent quickened bug-patching tempo so far this year. When next week's 23 are added to the mix, Microsoft will have issued 70 patches so far this year; the company had fixed only 59 flaws by the end of May 2011

Microsoft will release the seven updates at approximately 1 p.m. Eastern time on May 8.