Microsoft Releases Patch for a Windows Weakness

Microsoft Corp. released a software patch for its Windows operating system to fix a flaw that has spawned attempts to take control of Internet-connected computers.

Microsoft said that it didn’t expect to release the patch until at least Tuesday, but that it finished testing earlier than planned and released it on its website.

The flaw is in an element of Windows that is used to view images. If users view an image on a malicious website or an e-mail attachment, their computers could be attacked.