Welcome to the second Patch Tuesday of the year; let’s find out what new surprises and challenges await. This month, there are 55 vulnerabilities, four of which are zero-days. This time, two of the zero-days are being actively exploited.
After an initial discussion about this month’s updates, we’ll offer our advice for devising a plan to handle patch management in a hybrid work environment. You can also register for our free Patch Tuesday webinar and listen to our experts break down Patch Tuesday updates in detail.
What is Patch Tuesday?
Patch Tuesday falls on the second Tuesday of every month. On this day, Microsoft releases security and non-security updates for its operating system and other related applications. Since Microsoft has upheld this process of releasing updates in a periodic manner, IT admins expect these updates and have time to gear up for them.
Why is Patch Tuesday important?
Important security updates and patches to fix critical bugs or vulnerabilities are released on Patch Tuesday. Usually, zero-day vulnerabilities are also fixed during Patch Tuesday unless the vulnerability is critical and highly exploited, in which case an out-of-band security update is released to address that particular vulnerability.
February 2025 Patch Tuesday
Security updates lineup
Here is a breakdown of the vulnerabilities fixed this month:
CVE IDs: 55
Republished CVE IDs: 4 (more details on this below)
Security updates were released for the following products, features, and roles:
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Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales
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Windows DHCP Client
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Windows Message Queuing
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Windows Resilient File System (ReFS) Deduplication Service
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Windows CoreMessaging
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Azure Network Watcher
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Windows Telephony Service
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Microsoft Surface
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Microsoft High Performance Compute Pack (HPC) Linux Node Agent
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Visual Studio
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Windows Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS)
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Windows Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)
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Microsoft Edge for iOS and Android
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Outlook for Android
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Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based)
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Microsoft PC Manager
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Microsoft Windows
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Windows Update Stack
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Windows Remote Desktop Services
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Windows Kerberos
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Active Directory Domain Services
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Microsoft Office Excel
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Microsoft Office
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Microsoft Office SharePoint
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Windows DWM Core Library
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Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock
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Windows Setup Files Cleanup
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Windows Disk Cleanup Tool
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Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU)
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Visual Studio Code
Learn more in the MSRC’s release notes.
Details of the zero-day vulnerabilities
Vulnerable component: Windows Storage
Impact: Elevation of privilege
CVSS 3.1: 7.1
Microsoft has resolved a security flaw that was being actively exploited, which could allow attackers to gain higher privileges and delete files.
In its advisory, Microsoft explained that “The attacker would only be able to remove specific files on a system.” While this vulnerability doesn’t expose confidential data, it could result in the deletion of important files, potentially leading to service interruptions, Microsoft noted.
Vulnerable component: Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock
Impact: Elevation of privilege
CVSS 3.1: 7.8
The second vulnerability that is being actively exploited enables attackers to obtain SYSTEM privileges on Windows. Microsoft has not shared any details on how it was exploited in attacks, and the flaw was reported anonymously.
Vulnerable component: Microsoft Surface
Impact: Security feature bypass
CVSS 3.1: 7.1
Microsoft has identified a hypervisor vulnerability that allows attackers to bypass UEFI and potentially compromise the secure kernel. According to the advisory, the flaw affects Virtual Machines on UEFI host machines, with some hardware potentially allowing UEFI bypass. This could lead to the hypervisor and secure kernel being compromised.
Vulnerable component: NTML Hash Disclosure
Impact: Spoofing
CVSS 3.1: 6.5
Microsoft has addressed a publicly disclosed vulnerability that exposes Windows users’ NTLM hashes, potentially allowing attackers to log in as the user remotely.
The advisory notes, “Minimal interaction with a malicious file, such as selecting (single-click), inspecting (right-click), or performing any action other than opening or executing the file, could trigger this vulnerability.”
Although Microsoft hasn’t revealed many details, the flaw likely works similarly to other NTLM hash disclosure issues.
Republished CVE IDs
Besides the vulnerabilities fixed in this month’s Patch Tuesday, Microsoft has also republished four CVE IDs. These are as follows:
Some third-party vendors such as Adobe, Cisco, SAP, and Ivanti have also released updates this month.
Best practices to handle patch management in a hybrid work environment
Most organizations have opted to embrace remote work even after they have been cleared to return to the office. This decision poses various challenges to IT admins, especially in terms of managing and securing distributed endpoints.
Here are a few pointers to simplify the process of remote patching:
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Disable automatic updates because one faulty patch could bring down the whole system. IT admins can educate end users on how to disable automatic updates on their machines. Patch Manager Plus and Endpoint Central also have a dedicated patch, 105427, that can be deployed to endpoints to ensure that automatic updates are disabled.
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Create a restore point—a backup or image that captures the state of the machines—before deploying big updates like those from Patch Tuesday.
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Establish a patching schedule and keep end users informed about it. It is recommended to set up a time for deploying patches and rebooting systems. Let end users know what needs to be done on their end for trouble-free patching.
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Test the patches on a pilot group of systems before deploying them to the production environment. This will ensure that the patches do not interfere with the workings of other applications.
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Since many users are working from home, they all might be working different hours; in this case, you can allow end users to skip deployment and scheduled reboots. This will give them the liberty to install updates at their convenience and avoid disrupting their work. Our patch management products come with options for user-defined deployment and reboot.
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Most organizations are deploying patches using a VPN. To stop patch tasks from eating up your VPN bandwidth, install Critical patches and security updates first. You might want to hold off on deploying feature packs and cumulative updates since they are bulky updates and consume a lot of bandwidth.
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Schedule the non-security updates and security updates that are not rated Critical to be deployed after Patch Tuesday, such as during the third or fourth week of the month. You can also choose to decline certain updates if you feel they are not required in your environment.
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Run patch reports to get a detailed view of the health status of your endpoints.
For machines belonging to users returning to the office after working remotely, check if they are compliant with your security policies. If not, quarantine them. Install the latest updates and feature packs before deeming your back-to-office machines fit for production. Take inventory of and remove apps that are now obsolete for your back-to-office machines, like remote collaboration software.
With Endpoint Central, Patch Manager Plus, or Vulnerability Manager Plus, you can completely automate the entire process of patch management, from testing patches to deploying them. You can also tailor patch tasks according to your current needs. For a hands-on experience with either of these products, try a free, 30-day trial and keep thousands of applications patched and secure.
Want to learn more about Patch Tuesday updates? Join our experts as they break down this month’s Patch Tuesday updates and offer in-depth analysis. You can also ask our experts questions and get answers to all your Patch Tuesday questions. Register for our free Patch Tuesday webinar.
Ready, get set, patch!
