March 2021 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday and Other Patches

Posted on March 13, 2021 by harjit

Update sign and text on a computer keyboard button 3D illustration.

Microsoft has released fixes for 82 vulnerabilities, with 10 updates classified as Critical and 72 as Important. Here’s an updated announcement (2021-02-09) from Microsoft: Deploy Windows SSUs and LCUs together with one cumulative update –

Beginning with the February 2021 LCU, we will now publish all future cumulative updates and SSUs for Windows 10, version 2004 and above together as one cumulative monthly update to the normal release category in WSUS.

LCU = Latest Cummulative Update
SSU – Servicing Stack Update

UPDATE – 2021-03-14:
DYMO Label Printer fix for BSOD issues.

UPDATE – 2021-03-13:
Microsoft shares temporary fix for Windows 10 printing crashes

UPDATE – 2013-03-13:
Updates on Microsoft Exchange Server Vulnerabilities (CISA)

UPDATE – 2021-03-10:
Windows 10 KB5000802 (March) update is crashing PCs with BSOD
Windows 10 BSOD crashes include the both workstation and server versions running March 2021 cumulative updates:

KB5000802: Windows 10 2004/20H2 & Windows Server 2004/20H2
KB5000808: Windows 10 1909 & Windows Server 1909
KB5000822: Windows 10 1809 & Windows Server 2019
KB5000809: Windows 10 1803 & Windows Server 1803

Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Fixes:
1. Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability (CVE-2021-26411)
2. Internet Explorer Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2021-27085)
3. Windows Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2021-27077)
4. Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVE-2021-27078)

Windows 10 Updates for February 2021:

Windows 10 version 1507 — KB5000807 (OS Build 10240.18874)
Windows 10 version 1607 — KB5000803 (OS Build 14393.4283)
Windows 10 version 1703 — KB5000812 (OS Build 15063.2679)
(Update: 3/9/21 End of support for Windows 10, version 1703 )
Windows 10 version 1709 — EOS
Windows 10 version 1803 — KB5000809 (OS Build 17134.2087)
Windows 10 version 1809 — KB5000822 (OS Build 17763.1817)
Windows 10 version 1909 — KB5000808 (OS Build 18363.1440)
Windows 10 version 2004 and 20H2 — KB5000802 (OS Builds 19041.867 and 19042.867) (If you are running 21H1 in the Beta Channel, see here)

Microsoft Exchange ProxyLogon attacks

Microsoft released out-of-band security updates for the ProxyLogon vulnerability that are actively being used by threat actors worldwide to compromise Microsoft Exchange servers.

These vulnerabilities are being tracked with the following CVEs:

CVE-2021-26855 – Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
CVE-2021-26857 – Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
CVE-2021-26858 – Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
CVE-2021-27065 – Microsoft Exchange Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Microsoft has released security updates for currently supported Microsoft Exchange cumulative updates and older unsupported versions.

Microsoft has released a PowerShell script called Test-ProxyLogon.ps1 that will check for indicators of compromise (IOC) in Exchange HttpProxy logs, Exchange log files, and Windows Application event logs.

March 2021 Exchange Server Security Updates for older Cumulative Updates of Exchange Server

Additional March 2021 Patching Resources:

MSRC – March 2021 Security Updates
Microsoft CVE Summary
Security Update Guide – Microsoft Security Vulnerabilities
Advisory ADV990001 for the latest service stack update (SSU)
Adobe Security patches
Cisco Security patches
Apple Security patches
Android Security Bulletin
Oracle Security Alerts
Google Chrome March Update
F5 Vulnerabilities (March 2021)
Scan Changes and certificates add security for Windows devices using WSUS for updates
Zero Day Initiative blog
SAP February 2021 Security Updates
VMware View Planner update addresses remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2021-21978)
VMware ESXi and vCenter Server updates address multiple security vulnerabilities (CVE-2021-21972, CVE-2021-21973, CVE-2021-21974)

On March 9, 2021 (PT), Microsoft released security updates affecting the following Microsoft products:

Product Family	Maximum Severity	Maximum Impact	Associated KB Articles and/or Support Webpages
Windows 10 v20H2, v2004, v1909, v1809, and v1803	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Windows 10 v2004 and Windows 10 v20H2: 5000802 Windows 10 v1909: 5000808 Windows 10 v1809: 5000822 Windows 10 v1803: 5000809
Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, and Server Core installations (2019, 2016, v20H2, v2004, and v1909)	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Windows Server 2019: 5000822 Windows Server 2016: 5000803 Windows Server v2004 and Windows Server v20H2: 5000802 Windows Server v1909: 5000808
Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Monthly Rollup: 5000848 Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Security Only: 5000853 Windows Server 2012 Monthly Rollup: 5000847 Windows Server 2012 Security Only: 5000840
Internet Explorer 11	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Internet Explorer 11 Cumulative Update: 5000800
Microsoft Office-related software	Important	Remote Code Execution	4484376, 4486673, 4493151, 4493200, 4493203, 4493214, 4493224, 4493225, 4493227, 4493228, 4493229, 4493233, 4493234, 4493239, 4504702, 4504703, 4504707
Microsoft SharePoint-related software	Important	Remote Code Execution	3101541, 4493177, 4493199, 4493230, 4493231, 4493232, 4493238
Power BI Report Server	Important	Information Disclosure	5001284, 5001285
Azure-related software	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Find details on security updates for Azure-related software in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
Microsoft Visual Studio-related software	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Find details on security updates for Visual Studio-related software at https://docs.microsoft.com/visualstudio and in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
Windows Admin Center	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Find details on security updates for Windows Admin Center in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
HEVC Video Extensions	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Find details on security updates for HEVC Video Extensions in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide

Notes:

The summary above is an overview of updates for the most recent versions of commonly used software.
Updates for older versions, apps, and open source software may not be listed.
Updates may have been added or removed from the release after this content was finalized.
Find details for all updates in the monthly release in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
For additional details, see the release notes at: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2021-Mar

Security vulnerability overview:

Below is a summary showing the number of vulnerabilities addressed in this release, broken down by product/component and by impact.

Vulnerability Details	RCE	EOP	ID	SFB	DOS	SPF	TMP	Publicly Disclosed	Known Exploit	Max CVSS
Windows 10 v20H2 & Windows Server v20H2	11	29	3	1	4	0	0	1	0	9.9
Windows 10 v2004 & Windows Server v2004	11	29	3	1	4	0	0	1	0	9.9
Windows 10 v1909 & Windows Server v1909	11	28	3	1	4	0	0	1	0	9.9
Windows 10 v1809 & Windows Server 2019	10	26	3	1	4	0	0	1	0	9.8
Windows 10 v1803	4	21	3	1	2	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows Server 2016	8	17	3	1	4	0	0	1	0	9.8
Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2	8	12	3	0	4	0	0	1	0	9.8
Windows Server 2012	8	12	3	0	3	0	0	1	0	9.8
Internet Explorer 11	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	8.8
Microsoft Office-related software	7	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	7.8
Microsoft SharePoint-related software	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	8.8
Power BI Report Server	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	7.7
Azure-related software	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	9.3
Microsoft Visual Studio-related software	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8.8
Windows Admin Center	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4.3
HEVC Video Extensions	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7.8
RCE = Remote Code Execution \| EOP = Elevation of Privilege \| ID = Information Disclosure \| SFB = Security Feature Bypass \| DOS = Denial of Service \| SPF = Spoofing \| TMP = Tampering

Notes:

Vulnerabilities that overlap components may be represented more than once in the table.
The summary above is an overview of updates for commonly used software. Updates for older versions, apps, and open source software may not be listed.
Updates may have been added or removed from the release after this content was finalized.
Find details for all updates in the monthly release in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
For additional details, see the release notes at: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2021-Mar

Resources for deploying updates to remote devices

With so many people working remotely, it is a good time to review guidance on deploying security updates to remote devices, such as desktops, laptops, and tablets. Here are some resources to answer questions pertaining to deploying updates to remote devices.

Part 1: Helping businesses rapidly set up to work securely from personal PCs and mobiles

Part 2: Helping IT send and provision business PCs at home to work securely during COVID-19

Part 3: Manage work devices at home during Covid-19 using Configuration Manager

Part 4: Managing remote machines with cloud management gateway (CMG)

Part 5: Managing Patch Tuesday with Configuration Manager in a remote work world

See also:

Mastering Configuration Manager Bandwidth limitations for VPN connected Clients

Vulnerability details for the current month

Below are summaries for some of the security vulnerabilities in this release. These specific vulnerabilities were selected from the larger set of vulnerabilities in the release for one or more of the following reasons: 1) We received inquiries regarding the vulnerability; 2) the vulnerability may have received attention in the trade press; or 3) the vulnerability is potentially more impactful than others in the release. Because we do not provide summaries for every vulnerability in the release, you should review the content in the Security Update Guide for information not provided in these summaries.

Notes on details in the vulnerability summaries:

Attack Vector	This metric reflects the context by which vulnerability exploitation is possible. The Base Score increases the more remote (logically, and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerable component.
Attack Complexity	This metric describes the conditions beyond the attacker’s control that must exist in order to exploit the vulnerability. Such conditions may require the collection of more information about the target or computational exceptions. The assessment of this metric excludes any requirements for user interaction in order to exploit the vulnerability. If a specific configuration is required for an attack to succeed, the Base metrics should be scored assuming the vulnerable component is in that configuration.
Privileges Required	This metric describes the level of privileges an attacker must possess before successfully exploiting the vulnerability.
User Interaction	This metric captures the requirement for a user, other than the attacker, to participate in the successful compromise the vulnerable component. This metric determines whether the vulnerability can be exploited solely at the will of the attacker, or whether a separate user (or user-initiated process) must participate in some manner.

CVE-2021-24089	HEVC Video Extensions Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Score Metrics	Base CVSS Score: 7.8	Privileges Required: None	Confidentiality: High
Attack Vector: Local	User Interaction: Required	Integrity: High
Attack Complexity: Low	Scope: Unchanged	Availability: High
Affected Software:	HEVC Video Extensions
More Information:	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24089

CVE-2021-24090	Windows Error Reporting Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Impact	Elevation of Privilege
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Score Metrics	Base CVSS Score: 7.8	Privileges Required: None	Confidentiality: High
Attack Vector: Local	User Interaction: Required	Integrity: High
Attack Complexity: Low	Scope: Unchanged	Availability: High
Affected Software:	Windows 10 Version 20H2, Windows 10 Version 2004, Windows 10 Version 1909, Windows Server, version 20H2, Windows Server, version 2004, and Windows Server, version 1909
More Information:	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24090

CVE-2021-26867	Windows Hyper-V Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Score Metrics	Base CVSS Score: 9.9	Privileges Required: Low	Confidentiality: High
Attack Vector: Network	User Interaction: None	Integrity: High
Attack Complexity: Low	Scope: Changed	Availability: High
Affected Software:	Windows 10 Version 20H2, Windows 10 Version 2004, Windows 10 Version 1909, Windows Server, version 20H2, Windows Server, version 2004, and Windows Server, version 1909
More Information:	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-26867

CVE-2021-27077	Windows Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Impact	Elevation of Privilege
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	Yes
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Score Metrics	Base CVSS Score: 7.8	Privileges Required: Low	Confidentiality: High
Attack Vector: Local	User Interaction: None	Integrity: High
Attack Complexity: Low	Scope: Unchanged	Availability: High
Affected Software:	All supported versions of Windows
More Information:	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-27077

CVE-2021-26897	Windows DNS Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation more likely
CVSS Score Metrics	Base CVSS Score: 9.8	Privileges Required: None	Confidentiality: High
Attack Vector: Network	User Interaction: None	Integrity: High
Attack Complexity: Low	Scope: Unchanged	Availability: High
Affected Software:	Windows Server, version 20H2, Windows Server, version 2004, Windows Server, version 1909, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012
More Information:	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-26897

CVE-2021-26411	Internet Explorer Memory Corruption Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	Yes
Known Exploits?	Yes
Exploitability	Exploitation detected
CVSS Score Metrics	Base CVSS Score: 8.8	Privileges Required: None	Confidentiality: Low
Attack Vector: Network	User Interaction: Required	Integrity: High
Attack Complexity: Low	Scope: Changed	Availability: Low
Affected Software:	Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 Version 20H2, Windows 10 Version 2004, Windows 10 Version 1909, Windows 10 Version 1809, Windows 10 Version 1803, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012 and Microsoft Edge (EdgeHTML-based) on Windows 10 Version 20H2, Windows 10 Version 2004, Windows 10 Version 1909, Windows 10 Version 1809, Windows 10 Version 1803, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2016
More Information:	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-26411

CVE-2021-27076	Microsoft SharePoint Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation more likely
CVSS Score Metrics	Base CVSS Score: 8.8	Privileges Required: Low	Confidentiality: High
Attack Vector: Network	User Interaction: None	Integrity: High
Attack Complexity: Low	Scope: Unchanged	Availability: High
Affected Software:	Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2013, Business Productivity Servers 2010, SharePoint Server 2019, and SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016
More Information:	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-27076

CVE-2021-27053	Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Score Metrics	Base CVSS Score: 7.8	Privileges Required: None	Confidentiality: High
Attack Vector: Local	User Interaction: Required	Integrity: High
Attack Complexity: Low	Scope: Unchanged	Availability: High
Affected Software:	Microsoft Office 2019, Office Online Server, 365 Apps for Enterprise, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2010, and Office Web Apps Server 2013
More Information:	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-27053

February 2021 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday and Other Patches

Posted on February 13, 2021 by harjit

Microsoft has released fixes for 56 vulnerabilities, with 11 updates classified as Critical and 43 as Important. Here’s an updated announcement (2021-02-09) from Microsoft: Deploy Windows SSUs and LCUs together with one cumulative update –

LCU = Latest Cummulative Update
SSU – Servicing Stack Update

UPDATE – 2021-02-21
KB4301818 > KB5001078

UPDATE – 2021-02-17
KB4577586

Windows 10 Updates for February 2021:

KB4601319 (OS Builds 19041.804 and 19042.804) for Windows 10 version 20H2 / 2004
KB4601315 (OS Build 18363.1377) for Windows 10, version 1909
KB5001028 (OS Build 18363.1379) Out-of-band for Windows 10, version 1909
KB4601345 (OS Build 17763.1757) for Windows 10 version 1809
KB4601354 (OS Build 17134.2026) for Windows 10 version 1803
KB4601330 (OS Build 15063.2642) for Windows 10 version 1703
KB4601318 (OS Build 14393.4225) for Windows 10 version 1607
KB4601331 (OS Build 10240.18842) for Windows 10, initial release

Additional February 2021 Patching Resources:

MSRC – February 2021 Security Updates
Security Update Guide – Microsoft Security Vulnerabilities
Internet Explorer 11 zero-day vulnerability gets unofficial micro-patch
Windows 10 v1909 receives KB5001028 out-of-band fix for WPA3 Wi-Fi
Advisory ADV990001 for the latest service stack update (SSU)
Intel fixes vulnerabilities in Windows, Linux graphics drivers
Adobe Security patches
Cisco Security patches
Apple Security patches
Android Security Bulletin
Oracle Security Alerts
Scan Changes and certificates add security for Windows devices using WSUS for updates
Netlogon Domain Controller Enforcement Mode enabled by default on February 9, 2021
Zero Day Initiative blog
SAP February 2021 Security Updates
Google fixes severe Golang Windows RCE vulnerability
Apple fixes SUDO root privilege escalation flaw in macOS

Patched publicly disclosed vulnerabilities:

CVE-2021-1721 – .NET Core and Visual Studio Denial of Service Vulnerability
CVE-2021-1727 – Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
CVE-2021-1733 – Sysinternals PsExec Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
CVE-2021-24098 – Windows Console Driver Denial of Service Vulnerability
CVE-2021-24106 – Windows DirectX Information Disclosure Vulnerability
CVE-2021-26701 – .NET Core Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Intel microcode updates for Windows:

Microsoft has also released Intel microcode updates for Windows 10 20H2, 2004, 1909, and older versions to fix issues impacting current and previously released Windows 10 versions.

These microcode updates are offered to affected devices via Windows Update but they can also be manually downloaded directly from the Microsoft Catalog using these links:

KB4589212: Intel microcode updates for Windows 10, version 2004 and 20H2, and Windows Server, version 2004 and 20H2
KB4589211: Intel microcode updates for Windows 10, version 1903 and 1909, and Windows Server, version 1903 and 1909
KB4589208: Intel microcode updates for Windows 10, version 1809 and Windows Server 2019
KB4589206: Intel microcode updates for Windows 10, version 1803
KB4589210: Intel microcode updates for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server 2016
KB4589198: Intel microcode updates for Windows 10, version 1507

On February 9, 2021, Microsoft released security updates affecting the following Microsoft products:

Product Family	Maximum Severity	Maximum Impact	Associated KB Articles and/or Support Webpages
Windows 10 v20H2, v2004, v1909, v1809, and v1803	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Windows 10 v2004 and Windows 10 v20H2: 4601319 Windows 10 v1909: 4601315 Windows 10 v1809: 4601345 Windows 10 v1803: 4601354
Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, and Server Core installations (2019, 2016, v20H2, v2004, and v1909)	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Windows Server 2019: 4601345 Windows Server 2016: 4601318 Windows Server v2004 and Windows Server v20H2: 4601319 Windows Server v1909: 4601315
Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Monthly Rollup: 4601384 Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Security Only: 4601349 Windows Server 2012 Monthly Rollup: 4601348 Windows Server 2012 Security Only: 4601357
Microsoft Office-related software	Important	Remote Code Execution	4493211, 4493222, 4493196, 4493192, 4493204
Microsoft SharePoint-related software	Important	Remote Code Execution	4493210, 4493194, 4493195, 4493223
Microsoft Lync/Skype for Business	Important	Denial of Service	5000675, 5000688
Microsoft Exchange Server	Important	Spoofing	4602269, 4571787
Microsoft .NET-related software	Critical	Remote Code Execution	4601318, 4601050, 4601887, 4603004, 4602960, 4603005, 4602961, 4601354, 4601056, 4603003, 4602959, 4603002, 4602958, 4601051, 4601054
Microsoft Visual Studio	Important	Remote Code Execution	Find details on security updates for Visual Studio-related software in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
Microsoft Dynamics-related software	Important	Information Disclosure	4602915
Microsoft Azure-related software	Important	Elevation of Privilege	Find details on security updates for Azure-related software in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
Developer tools	Important	Remote Code Execution	Find details on security updates for developer tools in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide

Notes:

Find details for all updates in the monthly release in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
For additional details, see the release notes at: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2021-Feb

Security vulnerability overview:

Below is a summary showing the number of vulnerabilities addressed in this release, broken down by product/component and by impact.

Vulnerability Details	RCE	EOP	ID	SFB	DOS	SPF	TMP	Publicly Disclosed	Known Exploit	Max CVSS
Windows 10 v20H2 & Windows Server v20H2	10	7	5	2	4	0	0	3	1	9.8
Windows 10 v2004 & Windows Server v2004	10	7	5	2	4	0	0	3	1	9.8
Windows 10 v1909 & Windows Server v1909	10	6	5	2	3	0	0	3	1	9.8
Windows 10 v1809 & Windows Server 2019	10	7	5	2	3	0	0	3	1	9.8
Windows 10 v1803	7	6	4	2	3	0	0	3	1	9.8
Windows Server 2016	10	5	3	1	2	0	0	1	0	9.8
Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2	7	4	3	0	2	0	0	1	0	9.8
Windows Server 2012	7	4	3	0	2	0	0	1	0	9.8
Microsoft Office-related software	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7.8
Microsoft SharePoint-related software	2	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	8.8
Lync/Skype for Business	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	6.5
Microsoft Exchange Server	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	6.5
Microsoft .NET-related software	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	8.1
Microsoft Visual Studio-related software	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	7.8
Microsoft Dynamics-related software	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	6.5
Microsoft Azure-related software	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7.0
Developer tools	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7.8
RCE = Remote Code Execution \| EOP = Elevation of Privilege \| ID = Information Disclosure \| SFB = Security Feature Bypass \| DOS = Denial of Service \| SPF = Spoofing \| TMP = Tampering

Resources for deploying updates to remote devices:

Part 1: Helping businesses rapidly set up to work securely from personal PCs and mobiles
Part 2: Helping IT send and provision business PCs at home to work securely during COVID-19
Part 3: Manage work devices at home during Covid-19 using Configuration Manager
Part 4: Managing remote machines with cloud management gateway (CMG)
Part 5: Managing Patch Tuesday with Configuration Manager in a remote work world

See also:
Mastering Configuration Manager Bandwidth limitations for VPN connected Clients

Vulnerability details for the current month:

Below are summaries for some of the security vulnerabilities in this release:

Attack Vector	This metric reflects the context by which vulnerability exploitation is possible. The Base Score increases the more remote (logically, and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerable component.
Attack Complexity	This metric describes the conditions beyond the attacker’s control that must exist in order to exploit the vulnerability. Such conditions may require the collection of more information about the target or computational exceptions. The assessment of this metric excludes any requirements for user interaction in order to exploit the vulnerability. If a specific configuration is required for an attack to succeed, the Base metrics should be scored assuming the vulnerable component is in that configuration.
Privileges Required	This metric describes the level of privileges an attacker must possess before successfully exploiting the vulnerability.
User Interaction	This metric captures the requirement for a user, other than the attacker, to participate in the successful compromise the vulnerable component. This metric determines whether the vulnerability can be exploited solely at the will of the attacker, or whether a separate user (or user-initiated process) must participate in some manner.

CVE-2021-1727	Windows Installer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Impact	Elevation of Privilege
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	Yes
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation more likely
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1727

CVE-2021-1732	Windows Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Impact	Elevation of Privilege
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	Yes
Exploitability	Exploitation detected
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Windows 10 v20H2, Windows 10 v2004, Windows 10 v1909, Windows 10 v1809, Windows 10 v1803, Windows Server v20H2, Windows Server v2004, Windows Server v1909, and Windows Server 2019
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1732

CVE-2021-24074	Windows TCP/IP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation more likely
CVSS Base Score	9.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24074

CVE-2021-24094	Windows TCP/IP Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation more likely
CVSS Base Score	9.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24094

CVE-2021- 24077	Windows Fax Service Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	9.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24077

CVE-2021-24078	Windows DNS Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation more likely
CVSS Base Score	9.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Windows Server v20H2, Windows Server v2004, Windows Server v1909, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24078

CVE-2021-24088	Windows Local Spooler Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	8.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24088

CVE-2021-24098	Windows Console Driver Denial of Service Vulnerability
Impact	Denial of Service
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	Yes
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	5.5
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	Required
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	None
Integrity	None
Availability	High
Affected Software	Windows 10 v20H2, Windows 10 v2004, Windows 10 v1909, Windows 10 v1809, Windows 10 v1803, Windows Server v20H2, Windows Server v2004, Windows Server v1909, and Windows Server 2019
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24098

CVE-2021-24066	Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation more likely
CVSS Base Score	8.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019, Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016, Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2013 Service Pack 1, and Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010 Service Pack 2
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24066

CVE-2021-24067	Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	Required
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2010, Office Online Server, Office 2019, Office 2019 for Mac, and Office Web Apps Server 2013
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24067

February 2021 Microsoft Office security updates

Microsoft Office security updates are delivered through the Microsoft Update platform and via the Download Center.

Patched Office security vulnerabilities – (Source: Bleeping Computer)

This month’s Office security updates address bugs exposing Windows systems running vulnerable Click to Run and Microsoft Installer (.msi) based editions of Microsoft Office products to remote code execution (RCE), information disclosure, and spoofing attacks.

Microsoft rated the six RCE bugs patched in February 2021 as Important severity issues given that they could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the currently logged-in user.

Following successful exploitation, attackers could install malicious programs, view, change, and delete data, as well as make their own admin accounts on exploited Windows devices.

Tag	CVE ID	CVE Title	Severity
Microsoft Office Excel	CVE-2021-24067	Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office Excel	CVE-2021-24068	Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office Excel	CVE-2021-24069	Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office Excel	CVE-2021-24070	Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-24071	Microsoft SharePoint Information Disclosure Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1726	Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-24066	Microsoft SharePoint Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-24072	Microsoft SharePoint Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important

Further information about each of them is available within the knowledge base articles linked below.

Microsoft Office 2016:

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Excel 2016	Description of the security update for Excel 2016: February 9, 2021 (KB4493196)
Office 2016	February 2, 2021, update for Office 2016 (KB4493189)
Outlook 2016	February 2, 2021, update for Outlook 2016 (KB4493190)
PowerPoint 2016	February 2, 2021, update for PowerPoint 2016 (KB4493164)

Microsoft Office 2013:

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Excel 2013	Description of the security update for Excel 2013: February 9, 2021 (KB4493211)
Office 2013	February 2, 2021, update for Office 2013 (KB4486684)
PowerPoint 2013	February 2, 2021, update for PowerPoint 2013 (KB4493169)

Microsoft Office 2010:

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Excel 2010	Description of the security update for Excel 2010: February 9, 2021 (KB4493222)
Office 2010	February 2, 2021, update for Office 2010 (KB4493180)
PowerPoint 2010	February 2, 2021, update for PowerPoint 2010 (KB4493179)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019:

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Office Online Server	Description of the security update for Office Online Server: February 9, 2021 (KB4493192)
SharePoint Server 2019	Description of the security update for SharePoint Server 2019: February 9, 2021 (KB4493194)
SharePoint Server 2019 Language Pack	February 9, 2021, update for SharePoint Server 2019 Language Pack (KB4493193)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2016:

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016	Description of the security update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016: February 9, 2021 (KB4493195)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013:

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Office Web Apps Server 2013	Description of the security update for Office Web Apps Server 2013: February 9, 2021 (KB4493204)
Project Server 2013	February 9, 2021, cumulative update for Project Server 2013 (KB4493207)
SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013	February 9, 2021, cumulative update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013 (KB4493209)
SharePoint Foundation 2013	Description of the security update for SharePoint Foundation 2013: February 9, 2021 (KB4493210)
SharePoint Foundation 2013	February 9, 2021, cumulative update for SharePoint Foundation 2013 (KB4493205)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010:

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Project Server 2010	February 9, 2021, update for Project Server 2010 (KB4475537)
Project Server 2010	February 9, 2021, cumulative update for Project Server 2010 (KB4493217)
SharePoint Foundation 2010	Description of the security update for SharePoint Foundation 2010: February 9, 2021 (KB4493223)
SharePoint Server 2010	February 9, 2021, cumulative update for SharePoint Server 2010 (KB4493220)
SharePoint Server 2010	February 9, 2021, update for SharePoint Server 2010 (KB4493212)
SharePoint Server 2010 Office Web Apps	February 9, 2021, update for SharePoint Server 2010 Office Web Apps (KB4493219)

Unboxing – PatchMyPC Swag

Posted on January 30, 2021 by harjit

Patch My PC (PMPC) has become a household name in the Information Technology industry, particularly for those of us involved with managing 3rd party application patching with System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr/SCCM) and Microsoft Intune. I’ll share my reviews on PMPC in later blog posts but in so many words, it’s an amazing product. In the meantime, if you have any questions, let me know.

This post is to share my excitement for the swag I received from PMPC in appreciation for my strong recommendations and advocacy, not only for the rock solid solution but for the high quality customer service, technical support, and seriousness of listening to their customers for feedback and product improvements. Check out the unboxing video of the thoughtful gifts I received which I will definitely use.

Thank you Justin Chalfant and Patch My PC. I love my gifts.

Adobe Flash End-of-Life and How To Uninstall

Posted on January 28, 2021 by harjit

Adobe Flash Player went out of support as of December 31, 2020. For more information, see the Adobe Flash Player EOL General Information Page.

Microsoft has released update KB4577586, which is named “Update for the removal of Adobe Flash Player: October 27, 2020“. This update removes Adobe Flash from all Windows 10 and Windows Server systems. Please note: Once this update has been installed, it cannot be removed. Also, this update will only uninstall the ActiveX version of Adobe Flash, and not those installed via other mechanisms.

This update is currently not available in Windows Server Update Service (WSUS), and therefore is only available via the Microsoft Update Catalog. Microsoft states that it will be made available in early 2021.

Manual Installation:
You can install this update manually on systems running Windows 10 or server OS such as Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, and 2019 by downloading the update using the Microsoft Update Catalog portal, and selecting the appropriate OS for your system.

Deployment Using WSUS/ConfigMgr:
To deploy this update to multiple systems, you will need to use WSUS to import the update.
1. Launch the WSUS console, expand your server name, then click on Updates in the left-hand pane.
2. In the right-hand Actions pane, click on Import Updates. This will launch the Microsoft Update Catalog in your default browser.

3. In the Microsoft Update Catalog portal, click in the Search box on the top right hand side, and type KB4577586, and click Search.

4. Select the update for the desired OS types, and click on the Add button. This will add the updates to the basket.

5. Click on view basket on the top right-hand side of the page, which is located right below the search box. You will find all the updates you have added to be imported. Make sure that the checkbox for “Import directly into Windows Server Update Services” is selected, and then click the Import button. A window will open to show the import progress and when completed, the updates will be in WSUS.

In case you run into the following failed import state, you will need to add a fix in the registry.

By clicking on the red button labeled “Failed“, you will see it mentions the error number 80131509 with a description as seen in the image below.

To fix the error, launch the registry console by running regedit on the server.
Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\v4.0.30319.

Create a new DWORD (32-bit) key, and specify the name as SchUseStrongCrypto and apply the value as 1. Then, restart the server.

Update With ConfigMgr:
If you use ConfigMgr to manage and deploy your Windows Updates, you will need to run a Software Update sync from the ConfigMgr console to pull in the recently imported updates from WSUS.

In the ConfigMgr console, under the Software Library node, go to Software Updates > All Software Updates. To synchronize updates, you can either click the Synchronize Software Updates button on the top left-hand of the console or right-click on “All Software Updates, and select “Synchronize Software Updates” from the pop-out menu.

On successful completion of the software update sync, you will find the update for KB4577586 under “All Software Updates”. At this point, you will need to download the updates into a deployment package, and then deploy the updates to the device collections.

I will add the steps and screen captures to show how to download and deploy the updates using ConfigMgr in my next update or revision of this blog post. Stay tuned.

The resources below are other options available to uninstall using PowerShell scripts. These were written by my friend Ben Whitmore aka ByteBen. He uses the application method instead of the software updates method to uninstall Adobe Flash from systems using the scripts he wrote. Check it out:

1. How to Uninstall Adobe Flash Player from Windows 10 with ConfigMgr
2. Deploy the Update for Removal of Adobe Flash Player (KB4577586) using Intune

Here’s a YouTube episode on Namaste Techies covering all about Adobe Flash removal, including demos and useful tips. Please like and subscribe to the channel. Thanks.

January 2021 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday and Other Patches

Posted on January 19, 2021 by harjit

Microsoft has released fixes for 83 vulnerabilities, with ten updates classified as Critical and 73 as Important.

Windows 10 Updates for January 2021:

KB4598242 (OS Builds 19041.746 and 19042.746) for Windows 10 version 20H2/2004
KB4598229 (OS Build 18363.1316) for Windows 10, version 1909
KB4598230 (OS Build 17763.1697) for Windows 10 version 1809
KB4598245 (OS Build 17134.1967) for Windows 10 version 1803
KB4599208 (OS Build 15063.2614) for Windows 10 version 1703
KB4598243 (OS Build 14393.4169) for Windows 10 version 1607
KB4598231 (OS Build 10240.18818) for Windows 10, initial release

Additional January 2021 Patching Resources:

MSRC – January 2021 Security Updates
MSRC Japan
Advisory ADV990001 for the latest service stack update (SSU)
Advisory ADV200002 for Chromium Security Update for Microsoft Edge
Windows PsExec zero-day vulnerability patch
Adobe Security patches
Cisco Security patches
Apple Security patches
Scan Changes and certificates add security for Windows devices using WSUS for updates
CISA Remote Vulnerability and Patch Management guide
Printer RPC binding changes for CVE-2021-1678
Netlogon Domain Controller Enforcement Mode enabled by default on February 9, 2021
Security Update for Secure Boot DBX
Zero Day Initiative blog
Oracle Critical Patch Update for January 2021

On January 12, 2021 (Pacific Time), Microsoft released security updates affecting the following Microsoft products:

Product Family	Maximum Severity	Maximum Impact	Associated KB Articles and/or Support Webpages
Windows 10 v20H2, v2004, v1909, v1809, and v1803	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Windows 10 v2004 and Windows 10 v20H2: 4598242 Windows 10 v1909: 4598229 Windows 10 v1809: 4598230 Windows 10 v1803: 4598245
Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, and Server Core installations (2019, 2016, v20H2, v2004, v1909)	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Windows Server 2019: 4598230 Windows Server 2016: 4598243 Windows Server v2004 and Windows Server v20H2: 4598242 Windows Server v1909: 4598229
Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2012	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Monthly Rollup: 4598285 Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 Security Only: 4598275 Windows Server 2012 Monthly Rollup: 4598278 Windows Server 2012 Security Only: 4598297
Microsoft Office-related software	Important	Remote Code Execution	KB Articles associated with Microsoft Office-related software: 4493156, 4486736, 4486755, 4486759, 4486762, 4486764, 4493142, 4493143, 4493145, 4493160, 4493165, 4493168, 4493171, 4493176, 4493181, 4493183, and 4493186
Microsoft SharePoint-related software	Important	Remote Code Execution	KB Articles associated with Microsoft SharePoint-related software: 4486683, 4486724, 4493161, 4493162, 4493163, 4493167, 4493175, 4493178, and 4493187
Microsoft .NET-related software	Important	Denial of Service	Find details on security updates for .NET Framework-related software in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
Microsoft SQL Server-related software	Important	Elevation of Privilege	KB Articles associated with Microsoft SQL Server-related software: 4583456, 4583457, 4583458, 4583459, 4583460, 4583461, 4583462, 4583463, and 4583465
Microsoft Visual Studio-related software	Important	Remote Code Execution	KB Articles associated with Microsoft Visual Studio-related software: 4584787
Microsoft Malware Protection Engine	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Find details for security updates for the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide

Notes:

The summary above is an overview of updates for the most recent versions of commonly used software.
Updates for older versions, apps, and open source software may not be listed.
Updates may have been added or removed from the release after this content was finalized.
Find details for all updates in the monthly release in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
For additional details, see the release notes at: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2021-Jan

Security vulnerability overview:

Below is a summary showing the number of vulnerabilities addressed in this release, broken down by product/component and by impact.

Vulnerability Details	RCE	EOP	ID	SFB	DOS	SPF	TMP	Publicly Disclosed	Known Exploit	Max CVSS
Windows 10 v20H2 & Windows Server v20H2	13	31	10	6	2	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows 10 v2004 & Windows Server v2004	13	31	10	6	2	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows 10 v1909 & Windows Server v1909	13	30	8	6	2	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows 10 v1809 & Windows Server 2019	13	30	8	6	1	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows 10 v1803	13	30	7	6	1	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows Server 2016	13	27	7	5	2	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows 8.1 & Server 2012 R2	13	17	6	4	2	0	0	1	0	8.8
Windows Server 2012	13	17	5	2	1	0	0	1	0	8.8
Microsoft Office-related software	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7.8
Microsoft SharePoint-related software	4	2	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	8.8
Microsoft SQL Server-related software	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8.8
Microsoft Visual Studio-related software	1	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	7.8
Microsoft .NET-related software	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	7.5
Microsoft Malware Protection Engine	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	7.8
RCE = Remote Code Execution \| EOP = Elevation of Privilege \| ID = Information Disclosure \| SFB = Security Feature Bypass \| DOS = Denial of Service \| SPF = Spoofing \| TMP = Tampering

Notes:

Vulnerabilities that overlap components may be represented more than once in the table.
The summary above is an overview of updates for commonly used software. Updates for older versions, apps, and open source software may not be listed.
Updates may have been added or removed from the release after this content was finalized.
Find details for all updates in the monthly release in the Security Update Guide: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide
For additional details, see the release notes at: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2021-Jan

Resources for deploying updates to remote devices:

Vulnerability details for the current month:

Notes on details in the vulnerability summaries:

Attack Vector	This metric reflects the context by which vulnerability exploitation is possible. The Base Score increases the more remote (logically, and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerable component.
Attack Complexity	This metric describes the conditions beyond the attacker’s control that must exist in order to exploit the vulnerability. Such conditions may require the collection of more information about the target or computational exceptions. The assessment of this metric excludes any requirements for user interaction in order to exploit the vulnerability. If a specific configuration is required for an attack to succeed, the Base metrics should be scored assuming the vulnerable component is in that configuration.
Privileges Required	This metric describes the level of privileges an attacker must possess before successfully exploiting the vulnerability.
User Interaction	This metric captures the requirement for a user, other than the attacker, to participate in the successful compromise the vulnerable component. This metric determines whether the vulnerability can be exploited solely at the will of the attacker, or whether a separate user (or user-initiated process) must participate in some manner.

CVE-2021-1674	Windows Remote Desktop Protocol Core Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
Impact	Security Feature Bypass
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	8.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1674

CVE-2021-1673	Remote Procedure Call Runtime Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	8.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1673

CVE-2021-1643	HEVC Video Extensions Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	Required
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	HEVC Video Extensions
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1643

CVE-2021-1648	Microsoft splwow64 Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Impact	Elevation of Privilege
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	Yes
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1648

CVE-2021-1665	GDI+ Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	All supported versions of Windows
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1665

CVE-2021-1705	Microsoft Edge (HTML-based) Memory Corruption Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	4.2
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	High
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	Required
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	Low
Integrity	Low
Availability	None
Affected Software	Microsoft Edge (EdgeHTML-based)
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1705

CVE-2021-1707	Microsoft SharePoint Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation more likely
CVSS Base Score	8.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2013, SharePoint Foundation 2010, SharePoint Server 2019, and SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1707

CVE-2021-1714	Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	Required
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Microsoft Excel 365 Apps for Enterprise, Excel Services, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Office 2010, Office 2013, Office 2016, Office 2019, Office 2019 for Mac, Office Online Server, Office Web Apps Server 2013, and Office SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013.
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1714

CVE-2021-1715	Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	None
User Interaction	Required
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Microsoft Excel 365 Apps for Enterprise, Word 2010, Word 2013, Word 2016, Office 2010, Office 2019, Office 2019 for Mac, Office Online Server, Office Web Apps 2010, Office Web Apps Server 2013, Office SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013, SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016, SharePoint Server 2010, and SharePoint Server 2019
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1715

CVE-2021-1636	Microsoft SQL Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Impact	Elevation of Privilege
Severity	Important
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	No
Exploitability	Exploitation less likely
CVSS Base Score	8.8
Attack Vector	Network
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Microsoft SQL Server 2012, SQL Server 2014, SQL Server 2016, SQL Server 2017, and SQL Server 2019
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1636

CVE-2021-1647	Microsoft Defender Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Impact	Remote Code Execution
Severity	Critical
Publicly Disclosed?	No
Known Exploits?	Yes
Exploitability	Exploitation detected
CVSS Base Score	7.8
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High
Affected Software	Microsoft Security Essentials, System Center 2012 R2, System Center Endpoint Protection, Windows Defender
More Information	https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-1647

Disclosure: Source for the info below:

List of patched Office security vulnerabilities

Office security updates published as part of the January 2021 Patch Tuesday address bugs exposing Windows systems running vulnerable Click to Run and Microsoft Installer (.msi)-based editions of Microsoft Office products to remote code execution (RCE) attacks.

Microsoft rated the six RCE bugs patched this month as Important severity issues since they could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the currently logged-in user.

Tag	CVE ID	CVE Title	Severity
Microsoft Office	CVE-2021-1713	Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office	CVE-2021-1714	Microsoft Excel Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office	CVE-2021-1711	Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office	CVE-2021-1715	Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office	CVE-2021-1716	Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1712	Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1707	Microsoft SharePoint Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1718	Microsoft SharePoint Server Tampering Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1717	Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1719	Microsoft SharePoint Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability	Important
Microsoft Office SharePoint	CVE-2021-1641	Microsoft SharePoint Spoofing Vulnerability	Important

January 2021 Microsoft Office security updates

Microsoft Office security updates are delivered through the Microsoft Update platform and via the Download Center.

Further information about each of them is available within the knowledge base articles linked below.

To download the January 2021 Microsoft Office security updates, you have to click on the corresponding knowledge base article below and then scroll down to the ‘How to download and install the update‘ section.

Microsoft Office 2016

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Excel 2016	Security update for Excel 2016 (KB4493165)
Office 2016	Security update for Office 2016 (KB4493168)
Office 2016	Security update for Office 2016 (KB4486755)
Word 2016	Security update for Word 2016 (KB4493156)

Microsoft Office 2013

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Excel 2013	Security update for Excel 2013 (KB4493176)
Office 2013	Security update for Office 2013 (KB4486762)
Office 2013	Security update for Office 2013 (KB4486759)
Word 2013	Security update for Word 2013 (KB4486764)

Microsoft Office 2010

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Excel 2010	Security update for Excel 2010 (KB4493186)
Office 2010	Security update for Office 2010 (KB4493143)
Office 2010	Security update for Office 2010 (KB4493142)
Office 2010	Security update for Office 2010 (KB4493181)
Word 2010	Security update for Word 2010 (KB4493145)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Office Online Server	Security update for Office Online Server (KB4493160)
SharePoint Server 2019	Security update for SharePoint Server 2019 (KB4493162)
SharePoint Server 2019 Language Pack	Security update for SharePoint Server 2019 Language Pack (KB4493161)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2016

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016	Security update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 (KB4493163)
SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016	Security update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 (KB4493167)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Office Web Apps Server 2013	Security update for Office Web Apps Server 2013 (KB4493171)
Project Server 2013	Cumulative update for Project Server 2013 (KB4493173)
SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013	Security update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013 (KB4486724)
SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013	Security update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013 (KB4486683)
SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013	Cumulative update for SharePoint Enterprise Server 2013 (KB4493150)
SharePoint Foundation 2013	Security update for SharePoint Foundation 2013 (KB4493175)
SharePoint Foundation 2013	Cumulative update for SharePoint Foundation 2013 (KB4493172)

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010

Product	Knowledge Base article title and number
Project Server 2010	Cumulative update for Project Server 2010 (KB4493182)
SharePoint Foundation 2010	Security update for SharePoint Foundation 2010 (KB4493187)
SharePoint Server 2010	Security update for SharePoint Server 2010 (KB4493178)
SharePoint Server 2010	Security update for SharePoint Server 2010 (KB4486736)
SharePoint Server 2010	Cumulative update for SharePoint Server 2010 (KB4493184)
SharePoint Server 2010 Office Web Apps	Security update for SharePoint Server 2010 Office Web Apps (KB4493183)

Windows ADK 2004 For Windows 10 Now Available with Add-On

Posted on May 30, 2020 by harjit

With the release of Windows 10 version 2004, the following tool to support this latest Windows 10 build, Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) version 2004 is now available.
You can download it from: Windows 10 Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK).

NOTE: There is a change with this ADK which requires an add-on installation to include Windows PE.

Starting with Windows 10, version 1809, Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE) is released separately from the Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK). To add Windows PE to your ADK installation, download the Windows PE Addon and run the included installer after installing the ADK. This change enables post-RTM updates to tools in the ADK. After running the installer for the WinPE add-on, the WinPE files will be in the same location as they were in previous installs of the ADK.
See Download and install the Windows ADK and ADK tools to get the ADK and WinPE add-on.

The Windows ADK is also available to Windows Insiders. Join the Windows Insider Program to get the Windows ADK Insider Preview.

The latest version of the Windows ADK includes:

Windows Performance Recorder (WPR)

New SkipPDBGen Option – During WPR stop, you can now specify in the command line the ability to skip generation of PDBs (NGen & Embedded) to help reduce trace stop time.

wpr -stop <recording filename> <Problem description> [-skipPdbGen]

Learn more about Windows ADK v2004 for Windows 10.

Windows PXE Boot Issues – KB4493467 (April 9, 2019)

Posted on April 13, 2019 by harjit

Microsoft has acknowledged an issue with PXE boot affecting Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 systems caused by a Security-Only update (KB4493467) released on April 9, 2019.

The Issue:

After installing this update, there may be issues using the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) to start a device from a Windows Deployment Services (WDS) server configured to use Variable Window Extension. This may cause the connection to the WDS server to terminate prematurely while downloading the image. This issue does not affect clients or devices that are not using Variable Window Extension.

The Workaround:

To mitigate the issue, disable the Variable Window Extension on WDS server using one of the following options:

Option 1:
Open an Administrator Command prompt and type the following:

Wdsutil /Set-TransportServer /EnableTftpVariableWindowExtension:No

Option 2:
Use the Windows Deployment Services UI.

Open Windows Deployment Services from Windows Administrative Tools.
Expand Servers and right-click a WDS server.
Open its properties and clear the Enable Variable Window Extension box on the TFTP tab.

Option 3:
Set the following registry value to 0:

“HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\WDSServer\Providers\WDSTFTP\EnableVariableWindowExtension”.

Restart the WDSServer service after disabling the Variable Window Extension.

Microsoft is working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release.

Windows 10 Automatically Uninstalls Problematic Software Updates

Posted on March 12, 2019 by harjit

Patch Management is an important role of a Sysadmin in the Enterprise, because securing endpoints with security updates to keep systems secure and functional, receive fixes that resolve issues, and patch security holes is highly important. However, with the frequency of security updates which are released these days, patch management tasks feels like a full-time job!

For the most part, monthly patches are straight forward, however in recent months, they have been problematic where they have caused system crashes, blue screens, application functionality issues, and introduced other bugs. Some faulty patches are quickly reversed or rectified by Microsoft, while others go unfixed for a longer duration causing further duress and downtime in many organizations. This has been a major pain point for Sysadmins in the field.

Well, we may have some reprieve from these buggy patches. Microsoft has announced that it will start uninstalling problematic patches automatically from Windows 10 systems when it detects a startup issue due to incompatibility or issues stemming from a recently installed patch. The following notification will be presented:
“We removed some recently installed updates to recover your device from a startup failure.”

According to this KB4492307 posted by Microsoft, the problematic patch will not be reinstalled for 30 days to allow Microsoft and it’s partners to investigate and fix the issues. This process seems like a good proactive approach by Microsoft to get a handle of buggy patches, however more information is needed in terms of how this will work with detection, deployments, and compliance of these patches using ConfigMgr and WSUS as mechanisms for patch management in the enterprise. Time will tell, we hope!

Windows ADK 1809 For Windows 10 Now Available with Add-On

Posted on October 3, 2018 by harjit

With the release of Windows 10 version 1809, the following tool to support this latest Windows 10 build, Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) version 1809 is now available.
You can download it from: Windows 10 Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK).

NOTE: There is a new change with this ADK which requires an add-on installation to include Windows PE.

Starting with Windows 10, version 1809, Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE) is released separately from the Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK). To add Windows PE to your ADK installation, download the Windows PE Addon and run the included installer after installing the ADK. This change enables post-RTM updates to tools in the ADK. After running the installer for the WinPE add-on, the WinPE files will be in the same location as they were in previous installs of the ADK.

See Download and install the Windows ADK and ADK tools to get the ADK and WinPE add-on.

Johan Arwidmark has written a nice PowerShell script to automate the installation of the Windows ADK and Windows PE Add-On. You can grab it from his script repository on GitHub. This is very useful.

The Windows ADK is also available to Windows Insiders. Join the Windows Insider Program to get the Windows ADK Insider Preview.

The latest version of the Windows ADK includes:

The Windows Assessment Toolkit and the Windows Performance Toolkit to assess the quality and performance of systems or components.
Deployment tools such as WinPE, Sysprep, DISM and other tools that you can use to customize and deploy Windows 10 images.

Learn more about Windows ADK v1809 for Windows 10.

Windows 7 Network Controller Issues – KB4338818 (July 2018)

Posted on July 11, 2018 by harjit

The July 2018 Windows Updates for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 introduces a bug that could cause the network interface controller to stop working. The update referenced is KB4338818.

There is an issue with Windows and third-party software related to a missing file (oem<number>.inf). Because of this issue, after you apply this update, the network interface controller will stop working.

In case your systems run into this issue, the workaround from Microsoft is to do the following:

To locate the network device, launch devmgmt.msc; it may appear under Other Devices.

To automatically rediscover the NIC and install drivers, select Scan for Hardware Changes from the Action menu.

a. Alternatively, install the drivers for the network device by right-clicking the device and selecting Update. Then select Search automatically for updated driver software or Browse my computer for driver software.

Please use your best judgement and evaluate the risks of applying this update to your Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 systems.

** Update **
According to an IT Pro who opened a support case with Microsoft, this is the information provided at this time:

“Regarding the known issue in the July monthly rollup about the network interface controller that will stop working. We are still looking at the data gathered from multiple customers and we do not have a list third party software that is causing the issue. What we do know until now, is that the issue is reproducing mainly on VM over VMware.”

Harjit Dhaliwal

Microsoft MVP, IT Professional, Technology Evangelist, Social Media Influencer, Photographer

Category Archives: Patching

March 2021 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday and Other Patches

Microsoft Exchange ProxyLogon attacks

February 2021 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday and Other Patches

Intel microcode updates for Windows:

Patched Office security vulnerabilities – (Source: Bleeping Computer)

Microsoft Office 2016:

Microsoft Office 2013:

Microsoft Office 2010:

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2019:

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2016:

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013:

Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010:

Unboxing – PatchMyPC Swag

Adobe Flash End-of-Life and How To Uninstall

January 2021 – Microsoft Patch Tuesday and Other Patches

Disclosure: Source for the info below:

Windows ADK 2004 For Windows 10 Now Available with Add-On

The latest version of the Windows ADK includes:

Windows PXE Boot Issues – KB4493467 (April 9, 2019)

Windows 10 Automatically Uninstalls Problematic Software Updates

Windows ADK 1809 For Windows 10 Now Available with Add-On

Windows 7 Network Controller Issues – KB4338818 (July 2018)