MICROSOFT announced that all versions of Windows are affected by a series of newly-detected security threats, announcing a whopping 97 vulnerabilities to watch out for in January 2022.
Six especially critical security vulnerabilities impact Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 and Windows 11, along with Windows Server 2019 and Windows Server 2022.
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The company advised users to update Windows as soon as possible, and resume automatic updates if turned off.
Users can update manually by opening the Start menu, clicking the icon in the bottom left corner of their operating system’s display.
Then, Microsoft users can Settings and then head to Updates and Security.
Windows customers have the option to download updates there.
The patches for January 2022 will reach different users’ operating systems at different times.
Microsoft noted that of the six most critical “zero day” vulnerabilities, the company has not spotted hackers exploiting them in the wild.
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One security flaw, tracked as CVE-2022-21840, is a type of bug known as a remote code execution (RCE), Microsoft revealed on its website.
It can be exploited by hackers by sending a malicious file to the target over email.
“An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by sending the specially crafted file to the user and convincing the user to open the file,” Microsoft explained.
Microsoft has been embroiled in a slew of safety issues over the last 18 months.
In 2020, the National Security Agency (NSA) informed Microsoft of a major flaw to its operating system that could allow hackers to pose as legitimate software companies.
And in March 2021, hundreds of thousands of Exchange users from around the work were targeted by Chinese hackers.
The email and calendar program had four vulnerabilities in its software that allowed hackers to access servers, officials said.
Microsoft was also the target for the devastating SolarWinds hack, that saw at least nine federal agencies targeted by hackers in a suspected Russia spying campaign.
At least 100 private-sector businesses were also compromised.
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