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August 2019 Patch Tuesday Highlights Windows 10 Bugs & Threats

Microsoft has discovered remote code execution (RCE) security vulnerabilities in many of the most recent Windows operating systems, including Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and now Windows 10.

Microsoft released a cumulative set of updates for Windows 10 users this past August. Though the patch addressed critical security vulnerabilities, some of the updates quickly began causing bugs on several computers. Known issues range from being unable to rename .csv files to Windows PCs randomly rebooting themselves after installing the updates.

Windows patches are released regularly to overwrite security gaps and other bugs that can appear. However, after errors similar to this release’s appeared in the last big round of updates in October 2018, Microsoft’s Windows 10 patches have gained a bit of a reputation among users. This does not change the fact that Windows OS updates are often released to solve timely security threats, and users must be able to navigate the complexity of Microsoft’s patches to ensure they are not exploited by an unpatched vulnerability.

 

Windows 10 August 2019 Update Bugs

The errors became public the same day the updates first went out on community forums and social media. Users quickly inundated Microsoft’s social and customer service channels with complaints, and workarounds have been found for some – but not all – of the more critical bugs. Some of the known issues and suggested fixes from Microsoft can be found here.

One of the biggest concerns is the bug the patch causes for applications that use Visual Basic, which includes scripts for many common programs. Microsoft has promised to release fixes for this and other potential PC-crashing issues as soon as possible, but there have still been no universal, permanent rectification for the last version of Windows 10 as this writing. The only good news is that only a minority of users have been affected by critical bugs, at least according to Microsoft.

Save Time and Frustration with These Microsoft Word Tips

 

Windows 10 May 2019 Update

The August 2019 patch roll-out was essentially a follow-up to the last cumulative update in May 2019, which also saw a buggy release with many of the same issues. Thankfully, many of these have been patched for the earlier version of Windows 10. Users are also increasingly beginning to flock to this version from previous ones according to research by AdDuplex.

Windows 10 October 2018 Update

The last standalone major Windows 10 patch was the disastrous October 2018 update which was so unpopular it took months to convince even a fraction of users to adopt it. This release was plagued by bug since its initial release and additional patches to fix the previous errors often caused more. Understandably, adoption stagnated just before the next release and trends indicate that the newer version will see more subscribers sooner rather than later.

Reason for All of These Windows Updates – RCE Vulnerabilities

With all of these and more headaches by every consistent release of Windows 10 updates, you may be wondering why you should bother patching your system. The answer is simple – the alternative is much, much worse. Microsoft has discovered remote code execution (RCE) security vulnerabilities in many of the most recent Windows operating systems, including Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and now Windows 10.

Frequent readers may recall the BlueKeep warning SWK featured not long ago and how that RCE bug was so severe that even the NSA became involved. This new alert is essentially BlueKeep 2.0, only this vulnerability appears on newer systems, including Window 10, but still expands the wormable footprint for an enterprising hacker group to exploit. The chief concern for Microsoft, intelligence agencies and other experts is that attackers can leverage this loophole to connect to several networked computers remotely if they obtain the right authentication, and leverage them for a WannaCry-type mass infection.

Watch for Windows Updates & Contact SWK Network Services

If you cannot afford for a Microsoft update to crash your machines for a few days, consider taking advantage by having SWK manage your updates and patching, and contact SWK if you have concerns or questions.

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