Windows 10: March 2018 Windows security update – Expanding efforts to protect

Brink · Mar 12, 2018

Earlier this month I shared news on Microsoft’s continuing efforts to help protect our customers against the Spectre and Meltdown hardware-based vulnerabilities. Today, we are announcing the expansion of devices covered by Windows security updates by removing the anti-virus compatibility check for Windows 10 devices, expanding the availability of Intel microcode updates in the Microsoft Catalog, and adding coverage for x86 editions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

Expanding availability of Windows security updates based on broad anti-virus compatibility

Our recent work with our anti-virus (AV) partners on compatibility with Windows updates has now reached a sustained level of broad ecosystem compatibility. As we’ve previously detailed, some AV products had created compatibility issues with the Windows security updates, by making unsupported calls into the kernel memory, which required us to make AV compatibility checks to manage this risk. Based on our analysis of available data, we are now lifting the AV compatibility check for the March Windows security updates for supported Windows 10 devices via Windows Update. This change will expand the breadth of Windows 10 devices offered cumulative Windows security updates, including software protections for Spectre and Meltdown. We continue to require that AV software is compatible and in cases where there are known issues of AV driver compatibility, we will block those devices from receiving Windows updates to avoid any issues. I’ll share more details in the weeks ahead on AV compatibility for older versions of Windows, as we further our goal of broad ecosystem compatibility. We recommend customers check with their AV provider on compatibility of their installed AV software product.

Expanding the coverage of needed updates to address Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities

Today, we are also significantly expanding the Intel validated microcode updates we are making available via the Microsoft Catalog. The expanded set of Intel microcode updates covers a broad set of the latest generation Intel platforms including Skylake, Kaby Lake, and Coffee Lake devices, and is available for Windows 10 version 1709. We will continue to broaden the number of Intel microcode updates available via the catalog as they become available to Microsoft from Intel. A full list of available Intel microcode updates by Window 10 version can be found in KB4093836. We continue to partner closely with chipset and device makers as they offer more vulnerability mitigations.

We are also adding to the breadth of Windows updates to help protect against these vulnerabilities. Today, we are adding software coverage for the Meltdown vulnerability for x86 editions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 and we continue to work to provide updates for additional supported versions of Windows. You can find more information and a table of updated Windows editions in our Windows customer guidance article.

Staying up to date

As always, we emphasize the importance of installing the latest Windows updates when prompted on your device, so you are on the most secure version of Windows 10, which is version 1709 (Fall Creators Update). As a reminder, Windows 10 version 1607 (Anniversary Update) will reach end of service and receive its final security update on April 10, 2018. If you see a reminder that the latest version is ready to install, we recommend you follow the steps to pick a time that works best for you or update immediately. If you have not received an update offer on an older version of Windows 10, you can always choose to install the Fall Creators Update from the Software Download Site. Servicing timelines for each version of Windows 10 are shared on the Windows Lifecycle Fact Sheet.

1 Windows 7 version SP1

2 Customers should check with their CPU (chipset) and device manufacturers on availabilityof applicable firmware security updates for their specific device, including Intel’s Microcode Revision Guidance.
Click to expand...

Source: March 2018 Windows security update - Expanding our efforts to protect customers - Windows Experience Blog

:)

NICK ADSL UK [MVP] · Mar 12, 2018

Microsoft Security Bulletin(s) for march 2018

Release Notes
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March 2018 Security Updates

Release Date: March 13, 2018

The March security release consists of security updates for the following software:
•Internet Explorer
•Microsoft Edge
•Microsoft Windows
•Microsoft Office and Microsoft Office Services and Web Apps
•Microsoft Exchange Server
•ASP.NET Core
•.NET Core
•PowerShell Core
•ChakraCore
•Adobe Flash

Please note the following information regarding the security updates:
•Windows 10 updates are cumulative. The monthly security release includes all security fixes for vulnerabilities that affect Windows 10, in addition to non-security updates. The updates are available via the Microsoft Update Catalog.
Microsoft Update Catalog

•Starting in March 2017, a delta package will be available on the Microsoft Update Catalog for Windows 10 version 1607 and newer. This delta package contains just the delta changes between the previous month and the current release.

•Updates for Windows RT 8.1 and Microsoft Office RT software are only available via Windows Update.
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=21130

•In addition to security changes for the vulnerabilities, updates include defense-in-depth updates to help improve security-related features.

•After May 9, 2018, customers running Windows 10 version 1507 will no longer receive security and quality updates, with the exception of the Windows 10 2015 LTSB and the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise 2015 LTSB editions.

Microsoft recommends that customers with devices running other editions of Windows 10 version 1507 that are no longer supported update these devices to the latest version of Windows 10. For more information see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 4015562.
https://support.microsoft.com/help/4015562

•To be fully protected against CVE-2018-0886, users must enable Group Policy settings on their systems and update their Remote Desktop clients. The Group Policy settings are disabled by default to prevent connectivity problems and users must follow the
instructions documented HERE
https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4093492/credssp-updates-for-cve-2018-0886-march-13-2018
to be fully protected.

Known Issues
•4088787
•4088782
•4088776
•4088786
•4088779
•4088876
•4088879
•4088875
•4088878

santanumaity · Mar 12, 2018

WINDOWS 10 MOBILE CREATORS UPDATE MARCH 2018 CAMULATIVE UPDATE

WINDOWS 10 MOBILE CREATORS UPDATE MARCH 2018 CUMULATIVE UPDATE NOT RELEASE BY MICROSOFT.

SO MY QUESTION IS WHY MICROSOFT NOT RELEASE MARCH 2018 CUMULATIVE UPDATE FOR MOBILE (CREATORS UPDATE USERS)?

ThrashZone · Mar 12, 2018

Hi,
Did I miss a windows 71 ?

Faith · Mar 12, 2018

Hi,
Did I miss a windows 71 ?
Click to expand...

Maybe it's Windows 7.1, aka Service Pack 1?

ThrashZone · Mar 12, 2018

Hi,
Just a typo *Tongue

Steve C · Mar 13, 2018

How long to wait for Ivy Bridge (i5-3570K) I wonder?

dwarfer66 · Mar 13, 2018

i also have an ivy bridge 3550, will we see it for us though?

fdegrove · Mar 13, 2018

Hi,

Post #491's attachment shows a listing with all the current cpu's Intel's working on:

Windows Client Guidance against speculative execution vulnerabilities

Cheers, *Wink

Ground Sloth · Mar 15, 2018

How long to wait for Ivy Bridge (i5-3570K) I wonder?
Click to expand...

i also have an ivy bridge 3550, will we see it for us though?
Click to expand...

Microcode updates for Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Haswell, and Broadwell processors are actually available on the Intel website, but only the instructions for installing the updates on Linux are provided.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/dow...le?product=873

Win7ine · Mar 15, 2018

Microcode updates for Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Haswell, and Broadwell processors are actually available on the Intel website, but only the instructions for installing the updates on Linux are provided.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/dow...le?product=873
Click to expand...

Exactly, and I am waiting for INTEL still to incorporate into their own! BIOS for Intel DZ77RE-75K mobo with i7-3770K or Microsoft to include into KB4090007. Let's see where this ludicrous "Ping Pong" will end up ...

fdegrove · Mar 15, 2018

Hi,

MS will likely add it to the KB containing the MCU's but if you can't wait you can use VMWare's driver to load it for you in Windows:

https://labs.vmware.com/flings/vmwar...-update-driver

Cheers, *Wink

Ground Sloth · Mar 15, 2018

Hi,

MS will likely add it to the KB containing the MCU's but if you can't wait you can use VMWare's driver to load it for you in Windows:

https://labs.vmware.com/flings/vmwar...-update-driver

Cheers, *Wink
Click to expand...

According to the comments, it doesn't quite work. The driver loads too late on startup.

https://labs.vmware.com/flings/vmwar...river#comments

fdegrove · Apr 4, 2018

Hi,

According to the comments, it doesn't quite work
Click to expand...

Yep, I just finished reading them. I hope the guys at VMWare come up with a tweak to make Windows load the MCU early in the boot process which should be technically possible.
Ideally you'd want a pre OS post POST loader not unlike some of those bootmenu loaders we used 20 some years ago if no BIOS update is available.

Cheers, *Wink

Windows 10: March 2018 Windows security update – Expanding efforts to protect

March 2018 Windows security update – Expanding efforts to protect

March 2018 Windows security update – Expanding efforts to protect

March 2018 Windows security update – Expanding efforts to protect

March 2018 Windows security update – Expanding efforts to protect

March 2018 Windows security update – Expanding efforts to protect

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