All news with #microsoft tag

🛡️ Researchers at Microsoft disclosed a previously undocumented backdoor, dubbed SesameOp, that abuses the OpenAI Assistants API to relay commands and exfiltrate results. The attack chain uses .NET AppDomainManager injection to load obfuscated libraries (loader "Netapi64.dll") into developer tools and relies on a hard-coded API key to pull payloads from assistant descriptions. Because traffic goes to api.openai.com, the campaign evaded traditional C2 detection. Microsoft Defender detections and account key revocation were used to disrupt the operation.

🔒 Microsoft has announced the preview of Signing Transparency, a cloud-managed service that records every software signature in an append-only ledger protected by confidential computing. The service verifies and countersigns COSE envelopes, issues cryptographic receipts tied to a Merkle-tree inclusion proof, and keeps signing keys in a secure enclave. Organizations and auditors can independently verify releases, detect tampering, and retain receipts for compliance and incident response.

🔐 CISA, the NSA and international partners have published the Microsoft Exchange Server Security Best Practices to help organisations reduce exposure to attacks against hybrid and on‑premises Exchange deployments. The guidance reinforces Emergency Directive 25-02 and prioritises restricting administrative access, enforcing multi‑factor and modern authentication, tightening TLS and transport security, and applying Microsoft's Exchange Emergency Mitigation service. It also urges migration from unsupported or end‑of‑life systems and recommends use of secure baselines such as CISA's SCuBA. Agencies stress ongoing collaboration and a prevention-focused posture despite political and operational challenges.

🔒 Microsoft has issued updates to address three previously unknown flaws in the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) that could permit remote code execution and information disclosure. The issues, rooted in malformed EMF/EMF+ records, cause out-of-bounds memory access in GdiPlus.dll and gdi32full.dll during image rendering, thumbnailing and print initialization. Patches were released across the May, July and August 2025 Patch Tuesdays (KB5058411, KB5062553, KB5063878); administrators should apply updates promptly and avoid opening untrusted EMF files.

⚠️ An out-of-band update, KB5070881, that addressed CVE-2025-59287 for Windows Server Update Service inadvertently removed Hotpatch enrollment on a very limited number of Windows Server 2025 machines. Microsoft has stopped offering KB5070881 to Hotpatch-enrolled devices and released KB5070893 the next day to fix the flaw without breaking Hotpatch. Systems that installed the buggy update will receive regular monthly security updates requiring restarts in November and December and will rejoin Hotpatch after the January 2026 baseline. As part of mitigations, Microsoft also disabled the display of WSUS synchronization error details.

⚠️ Microsoft confirmed a known issue where closing Task Manager does not terminate the taskmgr.exe process after installing the October 28, 2025 preview update (KB5067036). Multiple background instances can consume CPU and cause stutters. As a temporary workaround, end each process in a new Task Manager window or run: taskkill.exe /im taskmgr.exe /f while Microsoft investigates a permanent fix.

🖥️ Windows 11 Build 26220.7051 introduces a taskbar-based Ask Copilot, allowing testers to query the web, local files, and AI using text or voice. The feature is optional and can be enabled under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar; Microsoft says it may eventually replace the existing Windows Search UI. The update also rolls out a full-screen Xbox handheld experience, a Bluetooth LE-based "Shared audio" preview to stream audio to two devices, and improved x64 emulation support to boost ARM PC performance.

🗞️ Windows 11 Build 26220.7051 is rolling out to Insiders and introduces three headline features: a taskbar-based Ask Copilot, a new full-screen Xbox experience for handhelds, and Bluetooth Shared audio. Ask Copilot lets users search the internet, local files, and AI using text or voice and can be enabled via Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Ask Copilot. The new full-screen experience (FSE) aims to prioritize gaming on compatible handheld devices and can be set under Settings > Gaming > Full screen experience. Additionally, Windows now supports sharing audio to two Bluetooth devices and improves ARM PC performance by expanding x64 emulation support.

🔒 Cybersecurity agencies in the United States, Australia and Canada have issued coordinated best-practice guidance to help organizations harden on-premises Microsoft Exchange Server installations against ongoing attacks and misconfiguration risks. The advisory emphasizes keeping servers fully patched and on the supported Subscription Edition, enabling Microsoft’s Emergency Mitigation Service, and establishing security baselines. It also urges stronger authentication and encryption, dedicated administrative workstations, and built-in protections such as Microsoft Defender Antivirus and App Control to reduce attack surfaces.

🔊 Microsoft is testing a new Shared audio feature in Windows 11 that uses Bluetooth LE Audio broadcast technology to stream audio to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously on eligible Copilot+ PCs. The option appears as Shared audio (preview) in Quick Settings in Windows 11 Build 26220.7051 (KB5067115). Initially it is limited to select Surface models with Qualcomm Snapdragon X and a few upcoming Samsung and Surface AI PCs, and requires compatible accessories such as Galaxy Buds2 Pro.

🛡️ Microsoft is adding a new scareware sensor to Edge that notifies Defender SmartScreen in real time to speed up indexing and global blocking of tech-support and full-screen scam pages. The sensor is included in Edge 142, disabled by default, and reports suspected scams immediately without sharing screenshots or extra data beyond SmartScreen’s usual telemetry. Edge’s local scareware blocker — introduced at Ignite 2024 and widely enabled since February — still warns users, exits full-screen, stops loud audio, shows a thumbnail, and offers an option to continue. Microsoft plans to enable the sensor for users who have SmartScreen enabled and will add more anonymous detection signals over time.

🔒 CISA, the NSA and international partners have issued urgent guidance to harden on‑premises Microsoft Exchange Server instances by restricting administrative access, enforcing multi‑factor authentication, and applying strict transport security. The agencies recommend migrating or decommissioning end‑of‑life and hybrid Exchange servers, enabling the Exchange Emergency Mitigation Service, and disabling remote PowerShell for users. Organizations are also advised to maintain patch cadence, apply security baselines, and enable antivirus, EDR, ASR, and AppLocker controls.

🔒 Microsoft summarizes the top generative AI security risks and mitigation strategies in a new e-book, highlighting threats such as prompt injection, data poisoning, jailbreaks, and adaptive evasion. The post underscores cloud vulnerabilities, large-scale data exposure, and unpredictable model behavior that create new attack surfaces. It recommends unified defenses—such as CNAPP approaches—and presents Microsoft Defender for Cloud as an example that combines posture management with runtime detection to protect AI workloads.

🔒 CISA and the NSA, joined by the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, released guidance to harden on-premises and hybrid Microsoft Exchange servers against attacks. The advisory emphasizes stronger authentication, minimized application attack surfaces, robust TLS configurations, and decommissioning unsupported servers after migration to Microsoft 365. It also recommends enabling emergency mitigations and built-in anti-spam and anti-malware protections and restricting administrative access to authorized workstations.

🚀 At GitHub Universe 2025, Microsoft and GitHub presented a vision for agentic development that lets developers see, steer, and build across autonomous agents. The event introduced platform capabilities like Agent HQ, a prompt-first AI Toolkit for VS Code, and the GA release of Azure MCP Server. Announcements focused on enterprise-grade security, standards-based integration, and faster, more intuitive agent creation and governance.

🔐 Today, CISA, in collaboration with the National Security Agency and international partners, published Microsoft Exchange Server Security Best Practices to help defenders harden on-premises Exchange servers against ongoing exploitation. The guidance emphasizes strengthening user authentication and access controls, enforcing robust network encryption, and reducing application attack surfaces through configuration and feature management. CISA also urges organizations to decommission end-of-life or hybrid 'last Exchange' servers after migrating to Microsoft 365 to reduce exposure to continued exploitation.

🔒 CISA, the NSA, and international partners released the Microsoft Exchange Server Security Best Practices blueprint to help administrators of on‑premises and hybrid Exchange environments strengthen defenses against persistent cyber threats. The guidance builds on CISA’s Emergency Directive 25‑02 and emphasizes restricting administrative access, implementing multifactor authentication, enforcing strict transport security, and adopting zero trust principles. It also urges organizations to remediate or replace end‑of‑life Exchange versions, apply recommended mitigations, and consider migrating to cloud-based email to reduce operational complexity and exposure.

🤖 Microsoft is extending Copilot functionality across its Microsoft 365 companion apps, with People and Files already supported and Calendar due in the coming weeks. These taskbar mini-apps—available only to enterprise and business Microsoft 365 customers—surface contextual info like contact details, org-wide search and OneDrive file results. Microsoft says Copilot now offers instant suggestions such as recaps, flagged comments, and updates from top collaborators, and supports seamless handoff to the full Microsoft 365 Copilot app for deeper inquiries. There is no indication that Copilot can be disabled within these companion apps.

🔒 Microsoft-owned LinkedIn will begin using profile details, public posts and feed activity from users in the UK, EU, Switzerland, Canada and Hong Kong to train generative AI models and to support personalised ads across Microsoft starting 3 November 2025. Private messages are excluded. Users can opt out via Settings & Privacy > Data Privacy and toggle Data for Generative AI Improvement to Off. Organisations should update social media policies and remind staff to review their advertising and data-sharing settings.

🛠 Microsoft has restored the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool after reports it failed to run on some up-to-date Windows 10 22H2, Windows 11 25H2 and Arm64 systems following the Windows 11 2025 Update. Microsoft says the issue was resolved in the optional KB5067036 preview update published October 28, 2025, and the updated tool is now available for download. As before, users can also obtain Windows ISO files directly to create bootable media.