Microsoft April 2023 Security Updates

 

The Microsoft April 2023 security updates have been released and consist of 97 new CVEs plus 3 Microsoft Edge releases included in the documentation.  Of these CVEs, 7 are rated critical and 90 are rated important in severity.  At the time of release, one is listed as being under active attack.

The security updates apply to the following products, features and roles: .NET Core, Azure Machine Learning, Azure Service Connector, Microsoft Bluetooth Driver, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Voice, Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based), Microsoft Graphics Component, Microsoft Message Queuing, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Office Publisher, Microsoft Office SharePoint, Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft PostScript Printer Driver, Microsoft Printer Drivers, Microsoft WDAC OLE DB provider for SQL, Microsoft Windows DNS, Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, Windows Active Directory, Windows ALPC, Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock, Windows Boot Manager, Windows Clip Service, Windows CNG Key Isolation Service, Windows Common Log File System Driver, Windows DHCP Server, Windows Enroll Engine, Windows Error Reporting, Windows Group Policy, Windows Internet Key Exchange (IKE) Protocol, Windows Kerberos, Windows Kernel, Windows Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol, Windows Lock Screen, Windows Netlogon, Windows Network Address Translation (NAT), Windows Network File System, Windows Network Load Balancing, Windows NTLM, Windows PGM, Windows Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE), Windows Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, Windows Raw Image Extension, Windows RDP Client, Windows Registry, Windows RPC API, Windows Secure Boot, Windows Secure Channel, Windows Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP), Windows Transport Security Layer (TLS), and Windows Win32K.

See the very long list of KBs at the bottom of the page at April 2023 Security Updates - Release Notes - Security Update Guide - Microsoft for information regarding known issues with the security updates as well as the CVEs with FAQs, Mitigations and/or Workarounds. 

Reminder: There are no more optional, non-security preview releases for the supported editions of Windows 10, version 20H2 and Windows 10, version 21H2. Only cumulative monthly security updates (known as the "B" or Update Tuesday release) will continue for these versions. Windows 10, version 22H2 will continue to receive security and optional releases.

Recommended Reading:   See Dustin Childs review and analysis in Zero Day Initiative -- The April 2023 Security Update Review.

 

Additional Update Notes:

• MSRT -- The Malicious Software Removal Tool is now run on a quarterly basis rather than monthly.  See Remove specific prevalent malware with Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. 
• Servicing Stack Updates -- Microsoft now combines the latest servicing stack update (SSU) for your operating system with the Latest Cumulative Updates (LCU). For general information about SSUs, see Servicing stack updates and Servicing Stack Updates (SSU): Frequently Asked Questions.
  
• Windows updates are cumulative. The monthly security release includes all security fixes for vulnerabilities that affect Windows, in addition to non-security updates. The updates are also available via search for the KB number in the Microsoft Update Catalog.
• For information on lifecycle and support dates for Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems, please see Windows 10 Home and Pro - Microsoft Lifecycle | Microsoft Docs and Windows 11 Home and Pro (Version 21H2) - Microsoft Lifecycle | Microsoft Docs.
• Windows Update History:
• Windows 11
• Windows 10

 

References

• Security Update FAQ
• Security Updates Guide

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