Microsoft Releases August 2024 Patch Tuesday Updates for Windows 11 and Windows 10

Key Takeaways:

• Microsoft released the August 2024 Patch Tuesday updates, addressing 90 vulnerabilities, including seven critical ones, such as remote code execution and privilege escalation flaws.
• The August 2024 update introduces the ability for users to drag app shortcuts from the Start menu to the Taskbar in Windows 11.
• Windows 11 version 22H2 Home and Pro editions will reach end of support on October 8, 2024.

Microsoft has released the August 2024 Patch Tuesday updates for Windows 11 and Windows 10. This month, Microsoft addressed 90 new vulnerabilities in Windows, Office, Azure, Co-Pilot, and other components.

Microsoft is reminding customers that the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 version 22H2 will reach end of support on October 8. The company recommends users to upgrade to the latest version of Windows 11 to continue receiving security and non-security updates.

August 2024 Patch Tuesday Updates fix 90 vulnerabilities

According to the Zero Day Initiative, Microsoft has released a total of 90 security patches, with fixes for seven critical vulnerabilities. Here’s a list of the most important security flaws you should know about this month:

• CVE-2024-38189: This is a Microsoft Project remote code execution vulnerability with an 8.8 CVSS rating. It affects organizations that have disabled the VBA Macro Notification Settings on their computer systems. This flaw requires an attacker to execute arbitrary code remotely by tricking a user into opening a malicious Microsoft Office Project file.
• CVE-2024-38178: This is a memory corruption vulnerability in Windows Scripting Engine memory or Script Host. It requires the hacker to convince the victim to use Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer Mode and click on a specially crafted URL.
• CVE-2024-38213: This zero-day flaw enables attackers to bypass Windows Mark of the Web (MoTW) security protections. Hackers could exploit this vulnerability to inject malicious files and Web content into corporate networks.
• CVE-2024-38193: This is a 7.8-rated Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock vulnerability that could enable cybercriminals to gain system-level privileges.
• CVE-2024-21302: This is a Windows Secure Kernel Mode elevation of privilege vulnerability with a 6.7 CVSS rating.
• CVE-2024-38199: This is a 9.8-rated remote code execution vulnerability that affects the Windows Line Printer Daemon (LPD) Service.

Here’s a full list of CVEs Microsoft released this month:

Quality and experience updates

Microsoft has released the KB5041585 patch for users running Windows 11 versions 22H2 and 23H2. This update brings all the new features that were previously released in July’s Week D update. Users can now drag app shortcuts from the pinned area in the Start menu to the Taskbar. For Windows 11 version 24H2, Microsoft has released a new KB5041571 patch that lets users drag app shortcuts from the Start menu to the Taskbar.

For Windows 10 users, Microsoft released the KB5041580 patch that addresses the BitLocker recovery screen bug caused by the July 2024 Patch Tuesday updates. The company is also working to fix an issue that is currently preventing users from changing their profile pictures.

Windows Update testing and best practices

Organizations looking to deploy this month’s patches should conduct thorough testing before deploying them widely on production systems. That said, applying the patches widely shouldn’t be delayed longer than necessary as hackers start to work out how to weaponize newly reported vulnerabilities.

A best practice is to make sure you have backed up systems before applying updates. Every month, users experience issues with Windows updates that lead to systems not booting, application and hardware compatibility issues, or even data loss in extreme cases.

There are backup tools built into Windows and Windows Server that you can use to restore systems in the event a patch causes a problem. The backup features in Windows can be used to restore an entire system, or files and folders on a granular basis.