Microsoft Releases Window 10 Patch for IE Security Vulnerability
Two weeks after Patch Tuesday Microsoft today is rolling out an optional security update to fix a remote execution vulnerability in Internet Explorer.
Microsoft today released a new optional cumulative update for all supported versions of Windows 10. The new update doesn’t include any new features and only refers to fixing a remote code execution security vulnerability in Internet Explorer. It comes just a couple of weeks after Microsoft’s regular Patch Tuesday round of updates.
Windows 10 Patches IE Security Vulnerability
If you are running Windows 10 1903 aka May 2019 Update your update will come in the form of KB4522016 and it will bump your build incrementally to 18362.357. Here is what Microsoft says regarding the issue and fix:
- Updates to improve security when using Internet Explorer.
A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the scripting engine handles objects in memory in Internet Explorer. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in such a way that an attacker could execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could take control of an affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights.
In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit the vulnerability through Internet Explorer and then convince a user to view the website, for example, by sending an email.
The security update addresses the vulnerability by modifying how the scripting engine handles objects in memory.
Keep in mind that this is an optional update and might be included in next month’s round of Patch Tuesday updates. But if you want to stay on top of things, you can manually download it for Windows 10 1903. Or, check the release notes for the version you’re running.
