Microsoft's November 2016 Patch Tuesday fixes Zero Day disclosed by Google

Today is the November 2016 Microsoft Patch Tuesday and we have fourteen security updates being released by Microsoft. Of these fourteen updates, six of them are rated as Critical as they allow remote code execution on the affected computer. Of particular note is the MS16-135 update, which fixes the zero-day Windows vulnerability reported by Google last week.

Remote Code Execution vulnerabilities are ones that allow an attacker to remotely execute commands on a computer. These commands could download further software, add user accounts, or perform virtually any action on the vulnerable computer.

All Windows users should immediately run Windows update and install all of the available updates as soon as possible. For a full list of the security updates, vulnerabilities, and links to their respective bulletins, please see the table below.

November Microsoft Patch Tuesday Security Updates:

MS16-129 Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Edge 3199057 - Critical

This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Edge. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Microsoft Edge. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerabilities could gain the same user rights as the current user. Customers whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users with administrative user rights.

This security update is rated Critical for Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016.

The update addresses the vulnerabilities by:

• modifying how Microsoft browsers handles objects in memory
• changing how the XSS filter in Microsoft browsers handle RegEx
• modifying how the Chakra JavaScript scripting engine handles objects in memory
• correcting how the Microsoft Edge parses HTTP responses

MS16-130 Security Update for Microsoft Windows 3199172 - Critical

This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a locally authenticated attacker runs a specially crafted application.

This security update is rated Critical for all supported releases of Microsoft Windows.

The security update addresses the vulnerabilities by:

• Correcting how the Windows Input Method Editor (IME) loads DLLs.
• Requiring hardened UNC paths be used in scheduled tasks.

For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3199172.

MS16-131 Security Update for Microsoft Video Control 3199151 - Critical

This security update resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution when Microsoft Video Control fails to properly handle objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. However, an attacker must first convince a user to open either a specially crafted file or a program from either a webpage or an email message.

This security update is rated Critical for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2016.

The update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how Microsoft Video Control handles objects in memory.

For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3199151.

MS16-132 Security Update for Microsoft Graphics Component 3199120 - Critical

This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow a remote code execution. The vulnerability exists when the Windows font library improperly handles specially crafted embedded fonts. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

This security update is rated Critical for all supported releases of Microsoft Windows.

The security update addresses the vulnerabilities by correcting how the ATMFD component, the Windows Animation Manager, and the Windows Media Foundation handle objects in memory.
For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3199120.

MS16-133 Security Update for Microsoft Office 3199168 - Important

This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Microsoft Office file. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerabilities could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Customers whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.

The security update addresses the vulnerabilities by correcting how:

• Microsoft Office initializes variables.
• Affected versions of Office and Office components handle objects in memory.

For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3199168.

MS16-134 Security Update for Common Log File System Driver 3193706 - Important

This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege when the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver improperly handles objects in memory. In a local attack scenario, an attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by running a specially crafted application to take complete control over the affected system. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could run processes in an elevated context.

This security update is rated Important for all supported releases of Microsoft Windows. 

The update addresses the vulnerabilities by correcting how CLFS handles objects in memory. For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3193706.

MS16-135 Security Update for Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers 3199135 - Important

This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker logs on to an affected system and runs a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerabilities and take control of an affected system.

This security update is rated Important for all supported releases of Windows.

The security update addresses the vulnerabilities by correcting how the Windows kernel-mode driver handles objects in memory.

For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3199135.

MS16-136 Security Update for SQL Server 3199641 - Important

This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft SQL Server. The most severe vulnerabilities could allow an attacker could to gain elevated privileges that could be used to view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts. The security update addresses these most severe vulnerabilities by correcting how SQL Server handles pointer casting.

This security update is rated Important for supported editions of Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Service Packs 2 and 3, Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Service Packs 1 and 2, and Microsoft SQL Server 2016. For more information, see the Affected Software section.

For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3199641.

MS16-137 Security Update for Windows Authentication Methods 3199173 - Important

This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The more severe of the vulnerabilities could allow elevation of privilege. To exploit this vulnerability, the attacker would first need to authenticate to the target, domain-joined system using valid user credentials. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could elevate their permissions from unprivileged user account to administrator. The attacker could then install programs; view, change or delete data; or create new accounts. The attacker could subsequently attempt to elevate by locally executing a specially crafted application designed to manipulate NTLM password change requests.

This security update is rated Important for all supported releases of Microsoft Windows.

The security update addresses the vulnerabilities by:

• Updating Windows NTLM to harden the password change cache.
• Changing the way that LSASS handles specially crafted requests.
• Correcting how Windows Virtual Secure Mode handles objects in memory.

For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3199173.

MS16-138 Security Update to Microsoft Virtual Hard Drive 3199647 - Important

This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The Windows Virtual Hard Disk Driver improperly handles user access to certain files. An attacker could manipulate files in locations not intended to be available to the user by exploiting this vulnerability.

This security update is rated Important for of Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2016.

The security update addresses the vulnerabilities by correcting how the kernel API restricts access to these files.

For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3199647.

MS16-139 Security Update for Windows Kernel 3199720 - Important

This security update resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker runs a specially crafted application to access sensitive information. A locally authenticated attacker could attempt to exploit this vulnerability by running a specially crafted application. An attacker can gain access to information not intended to be available to the user by using this method.

This security update is rated Important for Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2 (and Server Core).

The security update addresses the vulnerability by helping to ensure the kernel API correctly enforces access controls applied to this information.

For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3199720.

MS16-140 Security Update for Boot Manager 3193479 - Important

This security update resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow security feature bypass if a physically-present attacker installs an affected boot policy.

This security update is rated Important for all supported editions of Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2016.

The security update addresses the vulnerability by revoking affected boot policies in the firmware.

For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3193479.

MS16-141 Security Update for Adobe Flash Player 3202790 - Critical

This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player when installed on all supported editions of Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2016.

This security update is rated Critical. The update addresses the vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player by updating the affected Adobe Flash libraries contained within Internet Explorer 10, Internet Explorer 11, and Microsoft Edge.

For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3202790.

MS16-142 Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer 3198467 - Critical

This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Internet Explorer. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerabilities could gain the same user rights as the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker 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.

This security update is rated Critical for Internet Explorer 9 (IE 9), and Internet Explorer 11 (IE 11) on affected Windows clients, and Moderate for Internet Explorer 9 (IE 9), Internet Explorer 10 (IE 10), and Internet Explorer 11 (IE 11) on affected Windows servers.

The update addresses the vulnerabilities by correcting how Internet Explorer:

• modifies objects in memory
• uses the XSS filter to handle RegEx

For more information about this update, see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 3198467.

Get updating!