Microsoft today pushed out software updates to plug at least eight critical security holes in computers powered by its various Windows operating systems. The patches are available through Windows Update or via Automatic Updates. The flaws were addressed in a bundle of five patches, each of which earned Microsoft’s most dire “critical” rating, meaning they are serious enough that attackers could break into systems without any help from users. One particularly dangerous flaw covered by this month’s patch batch is a problem with the way Windows handles Javascript. While this flaw stems from a faulty component of the Windows operating system, it would most likely be exploitable through Internet Explorer versions 6, 7 and 8, said Wolfgang Kandek, chief technology officer at software security provider Qualys. The flaw resides in every version of Windows except Windows 7. In fact, none of the vulnerabilities patched today affect Windows 7, Kandek said.