October 8, 2024 at 03:10PM
Microsoft’s October 2024 Patch Tuesday addresses a known issue in Windows servers disrupting Remote Desktop connections post-July security updates. It may affect legacy protocol usage. Temporary fixes include firewall customization and registry edits. Notably, this follows previous instances of connectivity problems after security updates. The update addresses 118 vulnerabilities, including five publicly disclosed zero-days.
Based on the meeting notes, the key takeaway is that the recent Patch Tuesday cumulative updates from Microsoft are designed to address a known issue causing disruption to Remote Desktop connections in enterprise networks after installing the July Windows Server security updates. This issue affects Windows Server releases including 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012 R2, and 2012. Microsoft has provided temporary workarounds for impacted organizations that cannot immediately install the latest cumulative updates, including using firewall software to disallow connections over a specific pipe and port, as well as editing a specific registry key under Terminal Server Client.
In addition, it’s important to note that Microsoft has a history of addressing similar issues in the past, such as fixing RDP and VPN connectivity problems in 2022 and releasing an emergency out-of-band update in January 2022 to address a Windows Server bug triggering Remote Desktop connection and performance issues. Furthermore, the most recent Patch Tuesday security updates released in October 2024 aim to address 118 vulnerabilities, including five publicly disclosed zero-days, two of which are being exploited in ongoing attacks.