Microsoft delivers emergency patch for under-attack IE

Credit to Author: Gregg Keizer| Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2018 17:26:00 -0800

Microsoft rarely mentions Internet Explorer (IE) anymore, but when it does, it usually means bad news.

So it was Wednesday, when Microsoft issued a rare emergency security update to plug a critical vulnerability in the still-supported IE9, IE10 and IE11. The flaw was reported to Microsoft by Google security engineer Clement Lecigne.

According to Microsoft, attackers are already exploiting the vulnerability, making it a classic “zero-day” bug. Because of that, the company released a fix before the next round of security updates scheduled for Jan. 8.

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Microsoft Patch Alert: After months of bad news, November’s patching seems positively serene

Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2018 08:30:00 -0800

By far the most important reason for this month’s relative patching calm: Microsoft decided to wait and get the Windows 10 (version 1809) patch right instead of throwing offal against a wall and seeing what sticks.

What remains is a hodge-podge of Windows patches, some mis-identified .NET patches, a new Servicing Stack Update slowly taking form, a bunch of Office fixes – including two buggy patches that have been pulled and one that’s been fixed – the usual array of Flash excuses and Preview patches.

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Microsoft yanks two buggy Office patches but keeps pushing one that crashes

Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2018 08:15:00 -0800

Two related Office 2010 non-security patches issued on Nov. 6 were pulled on Nov. 17. KB 4461522 and KB 2863821 are both related to changes coming in the Japanese calendar next month attributed to the abdication of Emperor Akihito in favor of his son, Naruhito. The event has been compared to the Y2K problem in the west. It’s not clear why two patches were released on Nov. 6 to accommodate that calendar change, but both KB articles now sport the admonition:

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Amid calls for a Windows bug status dashboard, Microsoft belatedly agrees to build one

Credit to Author: Gregg Keizer| Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2018 02:59:00 -0800

A Windows expert this week urged Microsoft to put its money where its mouth is and produce a status dashboard or website that reports and tracks problems with the operating system.

Coincidentally or not, on Wednesday Microsoft said it would launch a “Windows update status dashboard,” but did not name a timetable except for a broad “in the coming year.”

“I can go to this page and see if something happening with Office 365 is just a me thing or if everyone else is seeing the same,” said Susan Bradley in a Nov. 13 email reply to questions, referring to the Office 365 Admin Center. (Note: Only those with administrative credentials have access; it’s not meant to provide information to end users.) “(But) if I want to find out if something is a known issue with Windows 10, I have to dig through – and monitor for changes – these pages,” she continued, listing two separate support documents for one such known issue.

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BitLocker on self-encrypted SSDs blown; Microsoft advises you switch to software protection

Credit to Author: Woody Leonhard| Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2018 16:08:00 -0800

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