Special Edition: Windows 11 KB5043145 Update Issues
In this week’s edition of Cyber News, instead of doing a case study or news summary, I wanted to address the hubbub around the latest Windows 11 Update.
What Is It?
So, before you hit the panic button, the update in question, KB5043145, is still in the preview stage, it’s optional and is not a forced update. However, Microsoft did announce an end of service update for Windows 11, version 22H2, on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. This is for the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11. This leaves some users in a bit of a predicament, as the bugs are affecting both 22H2 and 23H2 platforms.
Next, its purpose is to address quite a few bug fixes – yay – and restoring the signout option back to the Start Menu’s profile menu – also yay. So we can all stop accidentally turning off our computers when we’re tired and cross-eyed Friday night and just want to log out and go home.
Why Is It Not Working Correctly?
Users who have installed the update are experiencing repetitive restarts or crashes accompanied by blue or green screens. Some devices have also auto-opened the Automatic Repair tool in an attempt to diagnose and resolve the issue. Affected PCs can also reboot into BitLocker recovery mode. Affected platforms include Windows 11 version 23H2 (Windows’ annual update from 2023), and Windows 11 version 22H2 (2022 update). The 22H2 update is the version that will be reaching the End of Service next week.
Microsoft has announced they are actively investigating the issue, and are working to address the bugs. If you want to learn more about the updates, you can watch this video here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Microsoft will still support Enterprise and Education editions after October 8, 2024. So to all my IT admins and business owners, you don’t need to panic.
What Is It Affecting?
In addition to the blue screens and reboot loops, users are also reporting issues with their USBs and peripherals connected to the computer, like USB dongles for the mouse and wireless keyboards.
Microsoft is aware of the issue and is actively investigating it, according to the release from September 30. We are expecting them to mitigate it using the Known Issue Rollback (KIR) feature. You can read more on this feature here. This is an important Windows servicing improvement specifically addressing support for non-security bug issues. It enables the user to quickly revert a single, targeted fix to a newly updated/released behavior if a critical issue is discovered.
What Should I Do as a User?
This is one of those rare times where I would suggest holding off on installing the latest update while we’re pending a patch update from Microsoft, as they have already stalled rollout once back in June because of these issues. We are awaiting notification that the KIR patch has been completed for these specific issues, as they are released monthly.
What Are We Doing for Our Clients?
Now, if you are already one of our clients and we manage the IT services for your business, school, or organization, we are doing the following:
- Increased support available at our Support Desk in anticipating of higher volume of calls and tickets.
- Thoroughly vetting the update in a virtual environment before it is deployed live to your domains.
- There are currently no known exploits of this update, but we are monitoring closely for any further updates or patches.
As an MSSP, we practice delayed patching and updates. This means we thoroughly vet and test every patch and deployment in a virtual mockup of each client’s environment. This practice is what prevents massive fallout following an update, like what happened with the Crowdstrike update in July.