Mega Microsoft Patches Fix Mac Office Bug

One of the two security updates that Microsoft released Tuesday for its Office suite applies not only to Windows-powered computers, but also to Macs.

The bulletin, labeled MS06-028, fixes a flaw in PowerPoint, the presentation maker in Office, that could let an attacker hijack a system by sending its user a specially-crafted PowerPoint file.

To plug the hole, Microsoft posted updates for Office 2004 for Mac (version 11.2.4) and Microsoft Office v. X for Mac.

Office 2004 for Mac 11.2.4 also fixed problems with Entourage 2004, the suite's e-mail client, according to a brief description posted on Microsoft's Web site. Details of the update, however, have not yet been published; all Microsoft said was that it 11.2.4 "fixes vulnerabilities in Office 2004 for Mac that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code."

The 11.2.4 update tips the scales at 57.5MB, while the Office v. X for Mac patch weighs in at just 3MB.Previous to this, Office 2004 for Mac was last updated in April.