Microsoft has been forced to issue a critical patch for a vulnerability that affects every current version of its Windows operating system.
The bug affects code in the Microsoft secure channel (schannel) security component. This component implements the secure sockets layer and transport layer security (TLS) protocols.
A flaw in the code means it fails to properly filter specially formed packets allowing hackers to execute code remotely on an affected Windows machine.
According to the advisory, the flaw affects Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows Server 2012/2012 R2, and Windows RT/RT 8.1 machines. The flaw is rated critical for all affected operating systems.
Microsoft said that it "had not received any information to indicate that this vulnerability had been publicly used to attack customers".
Security researchers said exploitation of the SChannel bug has the potential to be worse than Heartbleed and Shellshock combined due to the large numbers of affected systems.
"Heartbleed was less powerful because it was just' an information disclosure bug and Shellshock was remotely exploitable only in a subset of affected systems," said Craig Young, security researcher at Tripwire.
"Some administrators may want to prioritise this over the Internet Explorer patch even though we've seen attacks we've seen in the wild against the browser. This is because MS14-066 has the potential to be exploited without user-interaction," he said.
Young added that exploitation of the bug would be "tricky". "Hopefully, this will give admins enough time to patch their systems before we see exploits."
Just last week, Microsoft was preparing a slew of updates to its products with 16 patches to fix critical flaws in Windows and Internet Explorer.
-
Cleo attack victim list grows as Hertz confirms customer data stolenNews Hertz has confirmed it suffered a data breach as a result of the Cleo zero-day vulnerability in late 2024, with the car rental giant warning that customer data was stolen.
-
Lateral moves in tech: Why leaders should support employee mobilityIn-depth Encouraging staff to switch roles can have long-term benefits for skills in the tech sector
-
Hackers are targeting Ivanti VPN users again – here’s what you need to knowNews Ivanti has re-patched a security flaw in its Connect Secure VPN appliances that's been exploited by a China-linked espionage group since at least the middle of March.
-
Broadcom issues urgent alert over three VMware zero-daysNews The firm says it has information to suggest all three are being exploited in the wild
-
Nakivo backup flaw still present on some systems months after firms’ ‘silent patch’, researchers claimNews Over 200 vulnerable Nakivo backup instances have been identified months after the firm silently patched a security flaw.
-
Everything you need to know about the Microsoft Power Pages vulnerabilityNews A severe Microsoft Power Pages vulnerability has been fixed after cyber criminals were found to have been exploiting unpatched systems in the wild.
-
Vulnerability management complexity is leaving enterprises at serious riskNews Fragmented data and siloed processes mean remediation is taking too long
-
A critical Ivanti flaw is being exploited in the wild – here’s what you need to knowNews Cyber criminals are actively exploiting a critical RCE flaw affecting Ivanti Connect Secure appliances
-
Researchers claim an AMD security flaw could let hackers access encrypted dataNews Using only a $10 test rig, researchers were able to pull off the badRAM attack
-
A journey to cyber resiliencewhitepaper DORA: Ushering in a new era of cyber security
