Microsoft’s monthly Patch Tuesday issued resolutions to 48 vulnerabilities in August, including 15 that affected Windows, 25 critical flaws, 21 important flaws, and 27 that allowed for remote execution. This is a lot to consider, but the main jist of this is that lots of threats were fixed, and that your organization shouldn’t risk not implementing them as soon as possible.
Only 15 of the vulnerabilities affected Windows itself, but the others addressed issues with other Microsoft products, including Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, SharePoint, SQL Server, Hyper-V, and Kernel. Yet, only two of these flaws affected every single version of Windows and Windows Server, and none of them were being exploited in the wild by hackers.
One of these vulnerabilities demands your immediate attention, though, and that is the one that has your Windows Search feature in its crosshairs. This vulnerability, coded by Microsoft as CVE-2017-8620, can use the Server Management Block (SMB) to remotely control a system, be it a Windows Server unit or a Windows workstation. Since the flaw isn’t located in SMB itself, it isn’t affected by other threats like the notorious WannaCry ransomware and NotPetya.
This Windows advisory claims that the vulnerability takes advantage of the way that Windows Search works with objects in memory. A hacker can send customized messages through the Windows Search function to change user permissions. They can then take full advantage of their permissions to install, remove, or change applications on any infected device. They can also view, change, or delete any data that’s stored on it, or create a new account just for them with full administrator privileges.
A vulnerability like this is exactly what a hacker wants. They can basically take full control over a victim’s computer with minimum trouble. If you implement patches and security updates as they are released, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Does your business have an organized approach to implementing security patches? If not, there are solutions available that you can use to keep security at a maximum.
Outsourced IT often includes remote patching and maintenance that can be used, even by small businesses. Even better, it does this without costing your business an arm and a leg. Enterprise-level solutions are often the only way for your business to thrive in a world filled with competition, but that’s because they provide a significant benefit to your organization that you can’t afford to ignore. We can improve your network security in the same way as an internal IT department, but without the costs associated with adding new salaries to your budget. The team at Midnight Blue can help your organization implement new security solutions like remote monitoring and maintenance. To learn more, reach out to us at 412.342.3800.
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