All news with #microsoft tag

🚀 Microsoft and Anyscale announced a private preview bringing Anyscale’s managed Ray to Azure, enabling developers to run distributed Python AI/ML workloads with native Azure integration. The service leverages the RayTurbo runtime and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) to provide elastic scaling, GPU packing, spot VM support, and enhanced observability. It aims to simplify scaling from prototype to production and reduce operational overhead.

🔒 Microsoft will remove Defender Application Guard for Office (MDAG) from supported Office builds beginning with version 2602 in early February 2026 and expects full removal with version 2612 by mid‑2027. Files that previously opened in Application Guard will open in Protected View instead. Microsoft recommends enabling Defender for Endpoint ASR rules and Windows Defender Application Control to preserve protections; no admin action is required to trigger the removal.

🔒 Microsoft describes how generative AI, exemplified by Microsoft Security Copilot, addresses common SOC challenges such as alert fatigue, tool fragmentation, and analyst burnout. The post highlights AI-driven triage, rapid incident summarization, and automated playbooks that accelerate containment and remediation. It emphasizes proactive threat hunting, query generation to uncover lateral movement, and simplified, audience-ready reporting. Organizations report measurable improvements, including a 30% reduction in mean time to resolution.

🔒 Check Point researchers disclosed four vulnerabilities in Microsoft Teams that let attackers alter message content, spoof senders, and manipulate notifications to impersonate colleagues. The issues were reported in March 2024 and remediated across multiple updates beginning with an August 2024 fix for CVE-2024-38197, followed by patches in September 2024 and October 2025. Exploitable by external guests and internal actors alike, the flaws could trick users into clicking malicious links, sharing sensitive data, or accepting fraudulent calls by making messages and caller notifications appear to originate from trusted executives or coworkers.

⚠️Microsoft says installing the October 2025 updates can cause some Windows 10 systems with active coverage to display an incorrect "Your version of Windows has reached the end of support" message in Windows Update settings. The cosmetic issue affects Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021, and Windows 10 22H2 devices enrolled in ESU. Microsoft has deployed a cloud configuration update to correct the message automatically, but devices that are offline or block dynamic updates may not receive it. Administrators can use Known Issue Rollback (KIR) by setting the KB5066791 251020_20401 value to Disabled to remove the alert on managed systems until a permanent fix ships in a future Windows update.

🔒 Microsoft warns of an emerging scam targeting online payroll systems, in which attackers use social engineering to steal employee and administrator credentials. Those credentials are abused to reroute direct deposits into attacker-controlled accounts, and fraudsters may take extra steps such as changing contact details or suppressing notifications to delay detection. The advisory highlights how moving payroll online creates new avenues for account takeover and financial fraud, and urges employers and vendors to strengthen authentication, monitoring, and verification processes.

🔒 Check Point Research identified multiple vulnerabilities in Microsoft Teams that could let attackers impersonate executives, manipulate message content, and spoof in-app notifications. The flaws exploit trust mechanisms built into real-time collaboration features used by more than 320 million monthly active users, turning expectations of authenticity into an attack vector. Researchers emphasize that trust alone isn’t a security strategy and urge rapid remediation by vendors and mitigations by organizations. Administrators should prioritize updates, review messaging policies, and increase user awareness to reduce exposure.

🛡️ 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.