May 2019 Patch Tuesday arrives

[woody]

The numbers are starting to roll in. Hang on a sec while we get a clearer picture.
[See the full post at: May 2019 Patch Tuesday arrives]

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walker, Elly, Pepsiboy, Myst, PhotM, abbodi86, GreatAndPowerfulTech, ch100

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[anonymous]

Wow. If they released a patch for Windows XP, then this vulnerability must be really bad.

1 user thanked author for this post.

woody

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[Alex5723]

How come Windows Update MiniTool, Windows Update Management, Belarc Advisor still doesn’t show May 2019 updates for 1809 Pro 17763.437 ?

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gngerlou

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[PKCano]

Direct Catalog downloads for Group B Security-only patches and IE11 Cumulative Updates have been updated on AKB2000003 on 5/14/2019.

Please note: There was a pciclearstalecache.exe bundled with the Win7 May Security-only Update. The download link has been included in AKB2000003.
For those of you with Win7:
Download the pciclearstalecache file and store it in the same location as the Security-only Update (on the desktop, in a folder, etc). Do not execute the file directly. When you install the Security-only Update, it should execute the pciclearstalecache automatically in the process. You may see the brief flash of a command prompt.
(At least, this is the way it worked when bundled with the Monthly Rollup last year.)

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[Matthew]

What is the significance of the pciclearstalecache.exe file that it has been given separate downloads? Would we install it first or what? Thanks.

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[DrBonzo]

I don’t know what it does but it also comes with the stand alone package for kb4499175 from the update catalog, so I don’t think you actually have to download it separately.

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[PKCano]

See the note above on how to deal with it.

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Matthew

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[JNP]

PK, I am a bit confused, this happens a lot to me :).  I am in Group B and the last security only update I installed was the April 2019: KB 409310.   I see the May Security only update in AKB2000003 but I don’t see anything for the pciclearstalecache file. What am I missing? What should I do when I decide to install the May update?  Could you kindly break this down a bit more?  Thanks.

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[PKCano]

JNP wrote:

the last security only update I installed was the April 2019: KB 409310.

??? The April 2019 Security-only Update for Win7 was KB4493448 (as shown in the attachment).

JNP wrote:

I don’t see anything for the pciclearstalecache file.

Instructions are here #1621530.

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[JNP]

Thanks, I see it now.  Really, appreciate you guys keeping us up to date.

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[DrBonzo]

Maybe this will help. Go to this link:

http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Search.aspx?q=KB4499175

and pick the Win 7 version you need and “add” it to your basket. Then click “view basket”. On the next screen you’ll be able to download the Security Only update package, which will consist of a folder with the actual update file and the pciclearstalecach file in it. Open the folder and click on the actual patch file, and the patch will be installed, and as long as the pci… file is in the same folder, it will automatically be dealt with – you don’t have to click on it or anything! In other words, as long as the pci… file and the actual patch file are in the same folder, it’s just like installing a normal update from the Update Catalog.

Hope this helps.

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[phaolo]

Wait, it hadn’t to be run manually?
The instructions for it were always changing..

I executed it before and after installing the patch (I think it was 4099950).
Did I screw up something? O_o

(why isn’t this simply included in the package btw?)

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[DrBonzo]

I downloaded the Security Only patch for Win 7 yesterday from the MS Update Catalog, and the folder that landed on my desktop did indeed have the patch file AND the pciclearstalecache file in it.

I didn’t check the Rollup patch to see if the pci… file is included with that download.

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[PKCano]

The bundling is taken care of by WU when you update the Rollup using it.
The instructions for installing it manually are above.

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[PKCano]

The instructions for the pciclearstalecache are above.

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[phaolo]

Yeah, I meant in the past, the first time pciclearstalecache.exe appeared.
Anyway, I’ll follow those instructions now.

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[phaolo]

Ouch.. I didn’t see any command prompt.

Btw the file from the catalog was called (I didn’t remove the SHA1 tho..):
pciclearstalecache_d243a607b50db10ed50f03cff570498018c61a59.exe

Checking the registry, then, I noticed some errors.

• Since years I use SoftwareRestrictionPolicies to limit cmd.exe to be used only with admin rights, due to the fear of ransomware.
  It never created problem with patches, but now I saw an entry about it:
  Access to C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe has been restricted [..] 
• Also:
  The winlogon notification subscriber <TrustedInstaller> is taking long time to handle the notification event (CreateSession).
  The winlogon notification subscriber <TrustedInstaller> failed a critical notification event.

Is there a more detailed log somewhere?
(I’ve found windowsupdate.log, but I can’t understand anything lol)

Should I reinstall the patches? :\

• This reply was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by woody.

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[PKCano]

If you do not have fixed IP addresses in a network situation that get lost, or problems with network connections, you are probably OK to leave things as they are.

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[phaolo]

Gosh.. fingers crossed. For now all looks normal.
Btw why couldn’t we just run pciclearstalecache.exe manually?
That’s what the patch does at the start, no?
(also, why doesn’t it simply stop, if it cannot find the file?)

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[walker]

@PKCano:  I am Group A, so I wonder if this one applies to me (??).  I’m Windows 7, Home Premium (I think).  This is the KB4499406 NET Framework update.

Nothing sophisticated on this Windows 7.   Perhaps a redundant question on my part for which I apologize (Just fearing I may make a mistake).

Apologies for the additional question.  Thank you.

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[PKCano]

Yes, if it is checked, install KB4499406 NET Framework update.

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[walker]

@PKCano:  Thank you again, so very, very much for verifying that this is a safe one.  As always thank you for taking the time to reply to my question.  I appreciate your assistance, more than words can ever say.  Thank you for your invaluable help.

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[Ed]

@PKCano… “When you install the Security-only Update, it should execute the pciclearstalecache automatically in the process. You may see the brief flash of a command prompt.

To verify the patching process actually completed successfully, after restarting the computer when the update completes the “pci.sys” file located in the Windows\System32\Drivers folder will change.

Before the update is ran the file version is 6.1.7601.24056 with a date stamp of 2/10/2018. After a successful installation the file version will be 6.1.7601.24441 with a date stamp of 4/18/2019.

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Elly

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[Elly]

Thank you for confirming that there is a change, and what others may look for, specifically, when the updating is successfully completed.

I remembered being able to look for a similar change, last year, but had difficulty bringing up the specific reference.

Those that do not see a change may not have downloaded both files and placed them in the same folder, thus not installing correctly.

The ‘pci.sys’ file is something that Everything search will find much quicker than the Windows Search, or trying to navigate to it, with Windows Explorer, from my experience.

I do wish that some others could confirm this date change, as well.

 

Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter

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Ed

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[DrBonzo]

I can confirm – sort of. Here’s what happened to me on a handful of Win 7 machines, all of which were up to date with Group B through April patches. Each had a file version 6.1.7601.24056 before the May Security Only. I downloaded the SO file from the Update Catalog and it came in a folder that also had the pci….exe file in it. The pci…exe file did NOT execute when I installed the SO (not only did I not see the command line ‘flash’ but the file version did not change). I assumed per PKCano that it did not execute because it did not need to execute. Nonetheless I then executed the pci…exe file separately and got the 6.1.7601.24441 file version. Everything has been working fine on all the machines for almost 3 days now.

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Elly

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[Ed]

I know you asked for “Others” to confirm this Elly and theoretically that would omit myself, BUT. I’ve completed the update process on all 16 computers now with 12 of them being 64 bit and the other 4 being 32 bit and got the exact same result from each of them.

To be specific… on each computer I started by verifying the “pci.sys” file was dated 2/10/2018 and then created a folder on the Desktop & named the new folder Patches (the folder’s name doesn’t matter). I then downloaded KB4499175, KB4498206 and the pciclearstalecache files from the catalog using the links on the Group B page here at Woody’s and saved all three files to the newly created Patches folder.

I then made sure the Windows Update service was NOT running and double clicked on KB4499175 to launch the installation, and closed the opened folder once it started. When the installation finished I had the options to Restart or Cancel… I chose Cancel. I then went back to Services again and STOPPED the Windows Update service. Then I opened the Patches folder again and double clicked on KB4498206 to launch the installation, and closed the opened folder once it started. When the installation finished I had the options to Restart or Cancel again… this time I chose Restart.

Not once during the installations on any of 16 of the computers did I see a “blink”, a “command prompt box” or anything unusual take place during the installation processes. After the computers restarted I checked the “pci.sys” file again and every one is now dated 4/18/2019.

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PKCano

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[Elly]

Alright! Other computers works as ‘others’ as far as I’m concerned!

It is helpful to have the exact steps for your success detailed, for those who have been uncertain about it working… so thank you, @Ed.

Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter

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[anonymous]

According to the info, having Remote Desktop off prevents this from being exploited anyway, and I gather so does blocking port 3389, or for that matter inbound connections entirely, via firewall, right?
— Cavalary

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[woody]

Excellent question. Short answer: I’m not sure. Let’s see how this plays out.

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[Alex5723]

woody wrote:

The numbers are starting to roll in. Hang on a sec while we get a clearer picture.
[See the full post at: May 2019 Patch Tuesday arrives]

Martin Brinkmann has full details on May 2019 updates

https://www.ghacks.net/2019/05/14/microsoft-windows-security-updates-may-2019-overview/

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[b]

woody wrote:

Big news is the “wormable” security hole in RDP, CVE-2019-0708. From Simon Pope on the MSRC Technet blogt:

Any future malware that exploits this vulnerability could propagate from vulnerable computer to vulnerable computer in a similar way as the WannaCry malware spread across the globe in 2017. While we have observed no exploitation of this vulnerability, it is highly likely that malicious actors will write an exploit for this vulnerability and incorporate it into their malware.

Vulnerable in-support systems include Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows Server 2008. Downloads for in-support versions of Windows can be found in the Microsoft Security Update Guide. Customers who use an in-support version of Windows and have automatic updates enabled are automatically protected.

Out-of-support systems include Windows 2003 and Windows XP. If you are on an out-of-support version, the best way to address this vulnerability is to upgrade to the latest version of Windows. Even so, we are making fixes available for these out-of-support versions of Windows in KB4500705.

Interesting that in that “quote” you skipped over the “patch A.S.A.P.” bit:

Now that I have your attention, it is important that affected systems are patched as quickly as possible to prevent such a scenario from happening. In response, we are taking the unusual step of providing a security update for all customers to protect Windows platforms, including some out-of-support versions of Windows.

You feel the Director of Incident Response, Microsoft Security Response Center got that wrong?

Windows 10 Pro version 21H2 build 19044.1263 + Microsoft 365 (group ASAP)

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[Alex5723]

b wrote:

we are taking the unusual step of providing a security update for all customers to protect Windows platforms, including some out-of-support versions of Windows

These out-of-support versions of Windows don’t have Windows updates running anymore, for years.

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[PKCano]

Extended support POS-Ready XP just received it’s last update in April 2019.

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[b]

Alex5723 wrote:

These out-of-support versions of Windows don’t have Windows updates running anymore, for years.

(see download links in the following table). These updates are available from the Microsoft Update Catalog only.[for XP/2003]
Customer guidance for CVE-2019-0708 | Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability: May 14, 2019

Windows 10 Pro version 21H2 build 19044.1263 + Microsoft 365 (group ASAP)

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[woody]

Not wrong. But I prefer to see what kinds of problems kick up before somebody releases an attack into the wild.

UPDATE: Remember that MS17-010, the WannaCry patch, appeared six weeks before there was a credible WannaCry threat. I don’t doubt that this will be exploited. But at this point I’m concerned that there may be gotchas, including the Krebbs report of having to install the patch twice.

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[b]

woody wrote:

Not wrong. But I prefer to see what kinds of problems kick up before somebody releases an attack into the wild.

You won’t be updating your test Windows 7 system yet? Someone needs to!

woody wrote:

UPDATE: Remember that MS17-010, the WannaCry patch, appeared six weeks before there was a credible WannaCry threat.

By which time hundreds of thousands of Windows 7 computers were infected with ransomware.

Let’s hope the attackers remember to include a kill switch which can be inadvertently discovered again or it could be even worse.

Although there are many millions fewer Windows 7 systems now than there were two years ago during WannaCry.

woody wrote:

I don’t doubt that this will be exploited. But at this point I’m concerned that there may be gotchas, including the Krebs report of having to install the patch twice.

Windows 10 patches for 1809 and 1903 may install twice, but Windows 10 isn’t affected by the “RDS worm”. So that Krebs report is unconnected with a forthcoming exploit.

Windows 10 Pro version 21H2 build 19044.1263 + Microsoft 365 (group ASAP)

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Sandman

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[anonymous]

I am running Windows 10 1803 on my home computer.  I noticed there is an unusual patch (Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8; KB4495616) this month.

Should I treat this like a normal monthly cumulative update (i.e. wait for the all clear before installing it)?  Or should it be installed sooner?  I guess I’m not sure what it is for.

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[EP]

best to wait until woody & susan give the all clear to install any net .NET patches

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woody

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[anonymous]

I have not patched .net on my Laptops since Sept of 2016. So most of my patching involves the Windows 7 OS security only patches and the IE11 cumulative security updates. I have patched for some other required patches to the Windows updating/patchng  subsystem and such that are required to be able to install the other patches but that’s about it.

Is there some kind of .net cumulative/roll-up sort of patch that can get me caught up, one that does not have any spyware/telemetry gathering baked in.

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[PKCano]

Group B patching recommends updating .NET through what is offered in Windows Updates. Refer to AKB2000003, which is the guideline for Group B patching.

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Janie8

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[BobbyB]

Win10x64 1903 Home got KB4497936 (need’s SSU KB4500109) .net KB4495620, Adobe KB4497932.
takes it from Winver 18362.86 to 18362.113. No problems or nothing broken so far.

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[EP]

the KB4497936 update for v1903 is also available to non-insiders as well, BobbyB

https://news.softpedia.com/news/windows-10-version-1903-cumulative-update-kb4497936-released-to-all-users-526059.shtml

Born has mentioned it on his blog recently:
https://borncity.com/win/2019/05/16/windows-10-v1903-update-kb4497936-global-rollout/

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[AceOfAces]

Well, another Intel security bug was found. https://www.chromium.org/Home/chromium-security/mds

Looks like it’s another Spectre type of attack (if I read the info I found correctly so far, it attacks the buffers to retrieve sensitive data. Still reading.) and Microsoft added them in to all May 2019 patches (I can confirm it in 1903’s patch notes). Intel is rolling out microcode as well.

And just when you thought this would be over soon…

Quick Edit: Quick clarification: This is a cocktail of 4 bugs in the processors:

CVE-2018-12126

Store buffers on some microprocessors utilizing speculative execution may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable information disclosure via a side channel with local access.

CVE-2018-12127

Load ports on some microprocessors utilizing speculative execution may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable information disclosure via a side channel with local access.

CVE-2018-12130

Fill buffers on some microprocessors utilizing speculative execution may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable information disclosure via a side channel with local access.

CVE-2019-11091

Uncacheable memory on some microprocessors utilizing speculative execution may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable information disclosure via a side channel with local access.

The first three are considered Medium in severity. The last one is low.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by woody.

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[woody]

I’m thinking about posting that on the main blog – but I wanted to give the May patches time to stew a bit.

Short version: Ho hum.

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[b]

Also affects Chromebook performance:

Microarchitectural Data Sampling on Chrome OS

 

Windows 10 Pro version 21H2 build 19044.1263 + Microsoft 365 (group ASAP)

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[Microfix]

wonder what the Google-DEFCON is then.. 😛

| Quality over Quantity |

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[Steve S.]

Some interesting reading I’ve done today about the ZombieLoad/RIDL/Fallout/MDS  situation — or maybe it’s FUD temporarily?  😉

Some links in this post I made:

Hyper-Threading & ZombieLoad CPU exploit

Win10 Pro x64 20H2, Win10 Home 20H2, Linux Mint + a cat with 'tortitude'.

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[Microfix]

KB 4494441 [that’s the Win10 1809 patch] had to be installed twice so be sure to run Windows Update twice. I was not amused.

Unlike Krebs, I only had to install once from WU on steady old Win8.1 x64 😛

KB4499151 May 2019 SMQR: error code 0x0
KB4497932 May 2019 Abode Flash Player: error code 0x0
no errors in event viewer post reboot.

Confidence is high: I removed replaced WinSxS assemblies and
WinSxS temp files, oops, no going back!! 😉

| Quality over Quantity |

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PKCano

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[CADesertRat]

I had 2 W10 Pro computers that still had 1803 on them and this morning 1 of them updated before 10 am PST and got 1809 17763.475, the other one updated after 10 am PST and got 1809 17763.503.

Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does 🙂
All W10 Pro at 21H1,(2 Desktops, 1 Laptop).

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woody

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[Cybertooth]

In his post, Woody wrote that…

Big news is the “wormable” security hole in RDP, CVE-2019-0708. From Simon Pope on the MSRC Technet blog

It’s odd that XP and Windows 7 would be affected by this vuln, but not Vista which came out in-between those two.

Could this be an oversight on their part?

 

Keep Running Windows 7 Safely for Years to Come  
Make Windows 10 look and work like Windows 7

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Myst, woody

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[woody]

Excellent question. I have no idea.

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Cybertooth

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[anonymous]

Server 2008 is affected. So Vista has to be affected too as they share the same codebase.

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woody

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[Tex265]

May is also the month that Windows 10 versions 1809 and 1803 are suppose to receive the new Windows Updater released to 1903 last month.  The separate Feature delay and Monthly Update delay.

Anybody know how this will be implemented?   As there was mention about it being later in May, separate KB update?

Windows 10 Pro x64 v21H1 and Windows 7 Pro SP1 x64 (RIP)

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[ajcoll5]

But wait. That’s not all. There’s also a big hole in .NET versions 2.1 and 2.2. CVE-2019-0982. It’s a Denial of Service vulnerability.

To clarify, that’s .NET Core 2.1 and .NET Core 2.2 — not .NET Framework.

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[abbodi86]

What a .NET mess

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woody

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[JNP]

Thanks, this is great!  One stop shopping for both files.  Many thanks.

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[OscarCP]

“Giving the patches time to stew for a bit” as Woody has said, looks to me as the best approach right now. These vulnerabilities probably have been around for a while already and nothing bad has happened, at least that has made any loud noises we have heard. Chances are that now has become known these vulnerabilities exist and measures are being taken to deal with them will deter those who want to exploit them from doing so right away. In the meantime, people will find out what problems, if any, the patches against those vulnerabilities may themselves cause, and give the word, when that is fixed, that is OK to patch.

Group B Windows 7 Pro, SP1 x64 & macOS+Linux Mint.

Ex Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7) since mid-2020. Now: running macOS Big Sur & sometimes, Linux (Mint)

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
Waterfox "Current" and (now and then) Chrome. also Intego AV and Malwarebytes for the Mac.

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[Mele20]

What about Windows 8.0 Pro?  I use it every day and it has always been very steady with no problems after I fixed the start menu mess and a few other things.  If they are providing a patch for XP then why not a patch for 8.0?  I see Microsoft has a patch for 8.1 so why not for 8?

I’m probably ok since I’ve always had Remote Connection disabled.

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[b]

Customers running Windows 8 and Windows 10 are not affected by this vulnerability, and it is no coincidence that later versions of Windows are unaffected. Microsoft invests heavily in strengthening the security of its products, often through major architectural improvements that are not possible to backport to earlier versions of Windows.
Prevent a worm by updating Remote Desktop Services (CVE-2019-0708)

Windows 10 Pro version 21H2 build 19044.1263 + Microsoft 365 (group ASAP)

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[EP]

Windows 8.0, 8.1 & 10 not affected

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[T]

You would think for once microsoft would offer the remote desktop patch as a standalone update given the seriousness of it because now we have to accept the whole lot to patch this hole yet risk the update messing up something else. Which is particularly likely this month with these new MDS vulnerabilities being patched and what on earth is that going to do to performance? It’s just too early to install, a lot of us have been burned in the past doing that.

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honx, woody

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[honx]

same here. i remember march 2018, me rolling back to december 2017 because of these problems in january through to march 2018 patches. i’m not gonna repeat that. so despite defcon 3 for windows 7, i stay put. i wait until there is malware exploiting this hole. btw. is my computer at risk in case of this new security hole, if i don’t use remote desktop at all? remote desktop services startup type is set to manual, so it isn’t even running…

PC: Windows 7 Ultimate, 64bit, Group B
Notebook: Windows 8.1, 64bit, Group B

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[E Pericoloso Sporgersi]

I seem to have well-behaved and pretty standard computer hardware (see * below).
On Tuesday May 14th, 16:00 Seattle time, I ran [Check for updates] and was offered 3 “Quality updates” for my Windows 10/64 Home:
KB4494441
KB4497932
KB4499405
(Yes, yes, I do have a previous full disk image, just in case.)

Well, the grass is still thriving and just as green as on the other side. IOW, I found no problems, no issues and I now run Windows 10 Home version 1809 OS build 17763.503 (installed 15 May 2019 01:00, Antwerp time  ).

Fish are jumping and the cotton is high …

*
Motherboard Clevo P17SM-A
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4810MQ CPU
BIOS American Megatrends Inc. 4.6.5, 28/07/2015
32 GB RAM
Windows 10/64 Home
Samsung SSD 840 EVO 500 GB mSATA
HDD 1 TB
Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M
Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller
Telenet broadband @ 192 Mbps
7 USB 3.0 external HDDs 17 TB total
1 eSATA external HDD 1 TB for system disk images

• This reply was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by woody.

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[Alex5723]

Microfix wrote:

wonder what the Google-DEFCON is then

Microarchitectural Data Sampling (MDS) attacks affects ALL modern Intel CPUs. My Intel i7-8850H looks like Swiss cheese.

Both Microsoft (Intel) and Canonical issued micro-code updates).

You can download MDS tool for Windows, Linux.

https://mdsattacks.com/ (scroll down for the tool)

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woody

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[Mele20]

b wrote:

Customers running Windows 8 and Windows 10 are not affected by this vulnerability, and it is no coincidence that later versions of Windows are unaffected. Microsoft invests heavily in strengthening the security of its products, often through major architectural improvements that are not possible to backport to earlier versions of Windows.
Prevent a worm by updating Remote Desktop Services (CVE-2019-0708)

So, 8.1 is affected but 8 is not?  Microsoft has a patch for 8.1.

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[woody]

This specific “wormable” security hole does not exist on Win8 or 8.1.

The cumulative update (and security-only update) for 8.1 does not patch this hole.

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[Alex5723]

Mele20 wrote:

Customers running Windows 8 and Windows 10 are not affected by this vulnerability,

Are you refering to the ‘wormhole’ or Microarchitectural Data Sampling (MDS) ?

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[anonymous]

W7 Starter 32 & W7 64. Updated. OK !

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[James Bond 007]

So Microsoft has taken the step of releasing security updates for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003? Sounds like problematic vulnerabilities.

It seems to me that I will finally be patching my Windows 7 / Windows 8.1 systems this month, just not now.

That “wormable” vulnerability in particular sounds like a really serious one for Windows 7 / 2008 R2, but without knowing about any problems the security-only update may cause, I won’t patch at this time. 4 months I have gone by (January 2019 – April 2019) without patching, what is another few weeks? I don’t use Remote Desktop myself and disable it after installing Windows, and so I don’t think I am affected by it.

Anyway, since Windows 8.1 is not affected by this vulnerability, if I want to feel safer I can use Windows 8.1 and/or MacOS Sierra / High Sierra for web surfing at this time.

Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.

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[magic]

Bravo! Top job Microsoft. Security patches by the truckload (fine), and also an HSTS change you sneaked in with no notice which just made a number of websites inaccessible to those installing the patches … less than a week before an election.

🤦‍♂️

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woody

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[woody]

magic wrote:

HSTS change you sneaked in with no notice which just made a number of websites inaccessible

Details, please. Which patch, what sites.. and are you talking about changes to HTTP Strict Transport Security?

(Are you talking about the Win 8.1 change to add uk.gov to the HSTS top level domains for IE and Edge?)

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[magic]

Sorry missed the reply.

After some testing, any of the May 2019 cumulative patches for Windows 8.1 and 10 with HSTS. The one affecting my client is KB4499167.  For Windows 7 specifically KB4498206, which also included in the rollups KB4499164 and KB4499175 for Windows 7.

“gov.uk” is the main site for the UK government. It’s used for online applications for car tax, passports, driving licenses. That sort of very important stuff which requires a secure connection, and has been HTTPS for years.

Then you get a level down to local government, where there’s 400+ local councils. They have placename.gov.uk domains, which this just broke as we got no warning that HSTS was being enforced. I’m an infrastructure tech for for a local council with 250,000 residents. A bunch of internal systems (that don’t require HTTPS) stopped working after I got the patches to test on Wednesday morning.

For us it prevents access to the publicly accessible democracy data and the planning system among others. Both of these are maintained by external systems providers so it’s not a five minute job to add a certificate.  The main website is fine for us, other councils don’t even have HTTPS enabled on those. I got a tweet before from someone advising that reading.gov.uk and doncaster.gov.uk are inaccessible.

I can cancel or delay the patch to our internal clients, but we’ve got zero control over the patching on customers machines. Yes, we can advise them to use Chrome, Firefox etc, but it still going to generate a significant load on customer services.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by woody.

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[Alex5723]

woody wrote:

Details, please. Which patch, what sites.. and are you talking about changes to HTTP Strict Transport Security?

Latest Windows 10 updates break access to some UK Government websites

“After installing the May 14, 2019 update, some gov.uk websites that don’t support HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) may not be accessible through Internet Explorer 11 or Microsoft Edge.”

https://www.ghacks.net/2019/05/17/latest-windows-10-updates-break-access-to-some-uk-government-websites/

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[b]

That article addresses it as a Windows 10-only issue.

But it applies equally to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

Windows 10 Pro version 21H2 build 19044.1263 + Microsoft 365 (group ASAP)

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woody

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[anonymous]

Worst is the way that it forces HSTS on internal sites in the RFC1918 address ranges.

Nobody should have the right to dictate that https be used on all internal websites like this.

This caused us grief at work today. Fixing Linux boxes to support https is easy, but sorting out monsters like scarepoint is a nightmare.

 

 

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[woody]

This from CK’s Technology News

Some  gov.uk do not supporting HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS)  which results in a website breakage.

Workaround:
Add “gov.uk” into the HSTS TLD in IE/Edge. A fix comes next patch day.

Thx @alQamar

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[b]

What’s shown as “workaround” there is the cause, not a cure.

It’s now listed as a known issue in May updates for Windows 7/8.1/10 (all versions).

Bleeping Computer seems to have the best summary, along with examples of a few county/town sites affected: Some GOV.UK Sites Unreachable Due to HSTS Changes in Windows Updates

(Includes a link to “not recommended” registry fixes for Windows 7 and 8.1, but not Windows 10.)

The issue only affects Internet Explorer and Edge (original) though, not other browsers including Edge (Chromium).

Windows 10 Pro version 21H2 build 19044.1263 + Microsoft 365 (group ASAP)

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woody

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[PKCano]

HTTP Strice Transport Security. Problem could have been the browser as well

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[magic]

Well yeah. It prevents access in IE and Edge, so it is the browser.

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[anonymous]

If you’re Group B and download (1) KB4499175 (Security Only for Win 7) and then (2) then download in same download folder the ‘pciclearstalecache’, are you saying that after you click on and install the KB4499175 it will then automatically install the pciclearstalecache patch (that you’ve downloaded but not clicked on to install)?  Thanks in advance for clarifying.

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[PKCano]

The instructions for the installation are here. Follow those instructions. They explain what is needed.

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[anonymous]

Thanks, PK.  I just installed the May Security only patch (KB4499175</span>) and the IE security patch KB4498206, but I still see that ‘pciclearstalecache’ file in my download folder and when running windows update it shows both KB4499175 and IE KB4498206 patches installed but nothing about the pci patch listed under installed updates in windows update history.

How do we confirm (check?) if that pciclearstalecache file was installed during installation of KB4499175?  Thanks  in advance for clarifying.

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[PKCano]

See #1628840 for the proof.

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[anonymous]

Ok. Must admit I’m bit confused and appreciate all your great insights and knowledge.  If I understand this right, you can’t confirm it (e.g. if that new pci file is  installed) but as long as you download and install the May Win 7 Security only patch KB4499175 that patch will include this pci patch (inside the Win7 security only patch), so in reality you don’t need to download the pci patch too?  Thanks, PK.  Apologies for the confusion.

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[PKCano]

Please read the instructions provided. The pci file is NOT in the update. There are two (2) files. Follow the link to AKB2000003 – see the two files. Download the two (2) files as instructed. Install them as instructed. The instructions above are very clear. There is even a screenshot a few posts below. Look at the picture. See the red arrow point at the second file.

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walker

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[anonymous]

Sorry, PK.  Thanks for the patience.  To better clarify, I had already downloaded those three files from your AKB2000003 webpage (which I have had bookmarked going back past few years- thanks to your great efforts), but only installed today both May’s Win 7 security only and IE.  Thus step 3 would be to install the PCI file that I’ve already downloaded?….this seems obvious, but appreciate you confirming this?  Thanks very much. 🙂

EDIT to remove HTML. Please use the “Text” tab in the entry box when you copy/paste.

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[PKCano]

Please quote for me here what is says about the pciclearstalecache file in these instructions.

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Elly

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[Elly]

Hey, PKCano,

I’m just restating your instructions, but giving them three steps… maybe that will help those still having problems understanding them.

1) Download the pciclearstalecache file and store it in the same location as the Security-only Update (on the desktop, in a folder, etc).

2) Do not execute the file directly.

3) When you install the Security-only Update, it should execute the pciclearstalecache automatically in the process.

PS- Folks- you do have to actually read the instructions and follow them. If you continue to have problems, it might be best to move to Group A, and let Windows Update handle this for you.

Non-techy Win 10 Pro and Linux Mint experimenter

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[anonymous]

1) Download the pciclearstalecache file and store it in the same location as the Security-only Update (on the desktop, in a folder, etc).

2) Do not execute the file directly.

3) When you install the Security-only Update, it should execute the pciclearstalecache automatically in the process.

OK, I have to comment on this after spending the entire evening going over these steps carefully and following them exactly in this order.

As another person stated, upon restart I did not see any flash of a command prompt and I sat at my computer for the entire process so as not to miss anything should it pop up.

I have been in Group B for years  patching both my own Win 7 desktop (and my three Win 8.1 laptops and desktop) as well as my elderly parents two  Win 7 computers.

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[PKCano]

It says you MAY see a flash of a command prompt, NOT you WILL see one.
And the instructions do not say on reboot. It would be on execution of the SO IF you see it.

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[anonymous]

On this page https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2019-0708, it offers KB4499164 and KB4499175. Do we need to install both?
On W7 PC that checks the updates directly to Microsoft, it offered KB4499164 only. After installed KB4499164, every time I checked, never offered KB4499175 (but I could download from Catalog and installed manually).

However, in my WSUS, both KB shows as “Needed” for W7 PC.

Thoughts, experts? Thank you!

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[PKCano]

The Security-only patch KB4499175 is contained in the Monthly Rollup KB4499164. You DO NOT need both.

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[anonymous]

Didn’t want to wait anyway, so yesterday I installed these three updates on my Group B system without problems afterwards:
IE KB 4498206
SO KB 4499175
.NET KB 4499406

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[Alex5723]

try clearing the windows update cache (by deleting the SoftwareDistribution folder) and removing any Windows Update Deferral settings and running those tools again

Just checked again with Belarc Advisor which has updated its DB.
Now I get the ‘missing’ May 2019 updates :

APSB19-26 Important Adobe Flash Player security update for Flash Player 32.0.0.171 ActiveX 64-bit
APSB19-26 Important Adobe Flash Player security update for Flash Player 32.0.0.171 ActiveX 32-bit
Q4497932 Critical Microsoft security update (KB4497932)
Q4499405 Important Microsoft security update (KB4499405)
Q4499728 Critical Microsoft security update (KB4499728)

No KB4494441.

My 1809 Pro is set to SAC/120/21.

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[PKCano]

Set the quality deferral to 0 if you want KB4494441 – it’s only been 2 days and you’re deferring it to 21.

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[Alex5723]

PKCano wrote:

if you want KB4494441

I’ll wait, but shouldn’t it be on the list as part of May updates ?

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[PKCano]

Your settings are telling it not to show up for 21 days.

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Alex5723

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[radosuaf]

Windows fully updated – X-Fi works this time :).

MSI H110 PC MATE * Intel Core i7-6700 * 2 x 8 GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2133 MHz * Aorus Radeon RX 570 4GB * Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD * SanDisk Ultra 3D 1TB SSD * Western Digital Blue 1TB HDD * DVD RW Lite-ON iHAS 124 * Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer PCI * Windows 10 Pro 20H2 64-bit

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[EP]

weren’t you the one who said a few weeks ago your X-FI card did not work with the KB4495667 update for v1809?
and now it works with the newest update like KB4494441?

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[EP]

ah woody. that KB4023057 update is back again (newly revised) as Born recently mentioned it:
https://borncity.com/win/2019/05/17/windows-10-reliability-update-kb4023057-05-162019/

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[Janie8]

Group B Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

I followed the instructions for pciclearstalecache and saved it in downloads. Downloaded the security only update (KB4499175) and expected the pciclearstalecache to be executed automatically but it didn’t happen, it was still in downloads. Restarted the computer and thought it might execute at that point but it was still in downloads.

Clicked on run and it disappeared then searched for it in Windows Explorer. There is one dated 15.04.2018 but the .exe is still there. What do I do next?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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[PKCano]

The pciclearstalecache file should be in the same location(folder) as KB4499175. You install the Security-only update as usual, and if the .exe file needs to run, it will do so automatically during the SO install. You may or may not see the command prompt box flash. It the .exe does not need to run, it will not do so. So other than downloading it to the same location as the SO, you do not need to deal with it.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by woody.

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Janie8

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[Janie8]

Many thanks PKCano for your reply.

Looked in the same location as KB4499175 and there is no pciclearstalecache in any of the folders.

Do you think I should download it again and put it in the same location as KB4499175 c:\Windows\SoftwardDistribution\Download or leave it as it won’t execute?

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[PKCano]

You should not be putting anything in c:\Windows\SoftwardDistribution\Download.

If you have already installed KB4499175 the point is moot.
If you have not installed KB4499175, then when you download pciclearstalecache, you should save it to the same folder/location that KB4499175 is in. You have to download two files. Then install KB4499175 as described.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 4 months ago by woody.

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Janie8

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[EP]

It looks like MS released new updates on May 19 & 20 to deal with the uk.gov sites not working correctly (affects nearly all versions of Windows); unusual for MS to be releasing them on the weekend

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[EP]

And Microsoft has released even NEWER updates but only for the 1803 & 1809 versions of Windows 10 this Tuesday May 21.

KB4497934 for 1809 (build 17763.529):
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4497934/windows-10-update-kb4497934

KB4499183 for 1803 (build 17134.799):
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4499183/windows-10-update-kb4499183

Important quotes from those articles about these new updates:

Starting with update KB4497934, we are introducing functionality that allows you to decide when to install a feature update. You control when you get a feature update while simultaneously keeping your devices up to date. Feature updates that are available for eligible devices will appear in a separate module on the Windows Update page (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update). If you would like to get an available update right away, select Download and install now.

Starting with update KB4499183, we are introducing functionality that allows you to decide when to install a feature update. You control when you get a feature update while simultaneously keeping your devices up to date. Feature updates that are available for eligible devices will appear in a separate module on the Windows Update page (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update). If you would like to get an available update right away, select Download and install now.

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[anonymous]

 

Win 10 Pro x64.  Upgraded from 1709 to 1803 from media offline, then reconnected and enabled WU service, applied SSU KB4497398 and May cumulative KB4499167 updates for 1803.  Disabled Update Orchestrator scheduled tasks that were re-installed by 1803  upgrade.  The 1803 upgrade also reinstalls Flash player as part of Edge package, removed Flash player via registry and DISM procedure.  Ran WUSH utility, blocked KB4023057, then ran Check for Updates.  KB4505064 HSTS fix was queued up although not presented by WUSH, acceptable.  The 1809 upgrade was queued up even though it had not been presented by WUSH, apparently a forced upgrade installation — blocked it by turning off WU service and changing settings, restarted and then re-ran Check for Updates to get May’s Office updates.

1803 feels somewhat more sluggish than 1709.  Machine stable for 3 days on 1803.

Edit to remove HTML. Please use the “Text” tab in the entry box when you copy/paste.

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[anonymous]

Followup: 1803 performance such as app loading seems improved, possibly because Prefetch has completed?

With 1803, HomeGroup is removed, and now Network (ex-“Network Neighborhood”) again displays computers/shares on local net, a convenience for users. SMB was previously removed, so WS-Discovery and UPnP in 1803 (vs 1709 and earlier) are now functioning correctly to create the network browse list.

Many privacy setting need to be checked and reset in 1803

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[sldc88]

I installed the May updates today. The pciclearstalecache is still where I downloaded it along with the security only patch (in Destktop). What does this mean? Can I delete from the Desktop? Thank you in advance for any help.

 

Win7 SP1 groupB

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[Alex5723]

May 2019 Patch is not over yet.

Microsoft releases Windows 10 builds 16299.1182, 15063.1839

..Today’s updates are for the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and Creators Update, also known as versions 1709 (KB4499147) and 1703 (KB4499162), respectively.

These are not Patch Tuesday updates, so they’re optional. You can get them through Windows Update, but they won’t install automatically.

Also, both versions are not supported for Home and Pro SKUs of the OS. You’ll only get these updates if you’re on Windows 10 Enterprise or Education…

https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-releases-windows-10-builds-162991182-150631839—heres-whats-new

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[honx]

Ed wrote:

@PKCano… “When you install the Security-only Update, it should execute the pciclearstalecache automatically in the process. You may see the brief flash of a command prompt.

To verify the patching process actually completed successfully, after restarting the computer when the update completes the “pci.sys” file located in the Windows\System32\Drivers folder will change.

Before the update is ran the file version is 6.1.7601.24056 with a date stamp of 2/10/2018. After a successful installation the file version will be 6.1.7601.24441 with a date stamp of 4/18/2019.

thx, pci.sys has changed, file version now is 6.1.7601.24441 as expected, but file date is 19.04.2019 04:44, not 04/18/2019

PC: Windows 7 Ultimate, 64bit, Group B
Notebook: Windows 8.1, 64bit, Group B

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[sldc88]

I updated according to the instuctions given by PKCano. Afterwards, I checked for the pci.sys file version and it is 6.1.7601.17514. Does this mean the update wasn´t succesful? Does this that there is a problem?

 

 

Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit, Group B

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[PKCano]

Evidently it was not needed in your case.

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