All Windows users need to deploy it ASAP, Microsoft says

Nov 18, 2014 15:25 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has just announced a brand new security update for all Windows versions currently on the market, obviously excepting Windows XP, whose support ended earlier this year in April.

The new out-of-band security update is pretty much an indication that Microsoft has come across a critical vulnerability in the operating system that would require emergency patching, so the company has no other choice than to release this as soon as possible.

Microsoft usually launched security improvements on the second Tuesday of each month, a day also known as Patch Tuesday, when Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, and the other products in its lineup receive updates supposed to fix the latest vulnerabilities.

This time however, the patch only affects Windows, and since it’s an out-of-band release, exploits might already be out there in the wild, so it’s really vital for all users to deploy it when it becomes available.

All Windows versions are affected

Microsoft will release the update later today, so the company hasn’t yet shared all details about the vulnerability that it wants to fix in order to keep users on the safe side and make sure that no further exploits are being developed. More info, however, will be provided later today at 10 AM PST.

All Windows versions will get the patch, including the following: Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows 10 Technical Preview, no matter the installed build.

Microsoft has labeled the patch as “critical,” explaining that it allows for elevation of privileges. A reboot will be required, so system administrators should be prepared to save their work before starting the deployment process.

Systems automatically patched via Windows Update

Just like it usually happens with all the other security patches that Microsoft ships each month, this emergency fix for Windows will be delivered to users via the built-in Windows Update, so if your systems are configured to receive updates automatically, there’s not much you can do right now.

Once the update is downloaded and installed on your computer, you will be prompted to reboot the system and you are strongly recommended to do this as soon as possible to complete the installation.

More information, including the exact details of the found vulnerability, will be disclosed later today, when the update finally becomes available for all users worldwide. Do not forget that all Windows versions are affected. Windows XP users won’t get the patch, so the best way to stay secure is to update to a newer Windows version.

Windows versions getting the patch (5 Images)

Windows 8.1 is one of the OSes getting the patch
Windows 10 Windows Update screenWindows 10 will be patched as well
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