CERT-In Issues Critical Alert for Microsoft Windows Users- Details
The Indian government has issued an urgent warning to Microsoft Windows users, highlighting potential risks due to vulnerabilities in the operating system. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has flagged these issues, which could leave users' systems exposed to serious security threats.
These vulnerabilities specifically affect systems that utilize Virtualization Based Security (VBS) and Windows Backup. If successfully exploited, attackers could gain elevated privileges on the targeted system, enabling them to bypass security measures or reintroduce previously resolved issues. This could put sensitive data and personal information at significant risk.
The warning follows a recent global incident where Microsoft Windows users faced a major outage due to a faulty update from CrowdStrike. While such occurrences are rare, the government emphasizes the importance of staying vigilant and applying updates provided by trusted vendors to safeguard against potential exploitation.
CERT-In's alert is a crucial reminder for all Microsoft Windows users to ensure their systems are up-to-date and to follow best practices for cybersecurity. Ignoring these warnings could lead to serious consequences, including unauthorized access to critical system functions.
Mentioned below are the affected Microsoft Windows versions:
• Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)
• Windows Server 2016
• Windows 10 Version 1809 for ARM64-based Systems: Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-it Systemstems
• Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems
• Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems
• Windows 10 for x64-based Systems
• Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems
• Windows 11 version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems
• Windows 11 version 21H2 for x64-based Systems
• Windows 10 Version 21H2 for x64-based Systems
• Windows 10 Version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems
• Windows 10 Version 21H2 for 32-bit Systems
• Windows 10 Version 22H2 for 32-bit Systems
• Windows 10 Version 22H2 for ARM64-based Systems
• Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems
• Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems
• Windows 11 Version 22H2 for ARM64-based Systems
• Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64-based Systems
• Windows 11 Version 23H2 for ARM64-based Systems
• Windows 11 Version 24H2 for x64-based Systems
• Windows 11 Version 24H2 for ARM64-based Systems
• Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2022 (Server Core installation)
• Windows Server 2022
• Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation)