Microsoft To Provide Patches For Some Third-Party Apps

Microsoft confirmed Wednesday that it will continue to patch third-party products that impact Windows.

Tuesday, Microsoft pushed out a patch to Windows XP, 98, and Millennium users for Flash Player, an Adobe-owned multimedia application that's bundled with those operating systems. It was the first time that the Redmond, Wash. developer had issued an update for a non-Microsoft product using its Windows Update service.

A Microsoft spokesman explained the decision Tuesday afternoon by saying that "Flash Player is a third-party technology that is redistributed by Microsoft in certain versions of Windows, therefore some Microsoft customers may be at risk.

"Microsoft is committed to protecting our customers from security threats and so has worked closely with Adobe to develop, test, and release security updates that help protect our mutual customers from these security vulnerabilities," he continued.

When asked Wednesday whether the Flash update was a one-time event or the beginning of a long-term practice, the spokesman's answer was oblique.