Microsoft has begun rolling out an update to virtually every Windows device on the market — and it should be installed ASAP. The company recently discovered a system vulnerability called ‘PrintNightmare,’ and this latest update resolves this issue so people can continue using their computers with peace of mind.
Although Microsoft is constantly working to make Windows as safe as can be, that’s not to say the operating system is perfect. Security bugs/vulnerabilities continue to be an issue for the platform in 2021, as is the case with just about any piece of software. Hackers are relentless, certain updates can be coded incorrectly, and so on. In June, for example, millions of Dell computers had to be updated because of issues discovered with some of the company’s pre-installed applications.
In this latest incident with the PrintNightmare vulnerability, the issue stems from the Print Spooler app that’s loaded onto virtually every Windows OS in existence. When taken advantage of, hackers can use the Print Spooler software to remotely execute code on an affected computer — including the ability to install malicious programs, create new admin accounts for greater system control, and more. The Verge reports that the vulnerability was initially discovered by a group of security researchers. They created proof-of-concept code to execute the attack to understand how it worked, but unfortunately, that code was accidentally published for all to see.
How To Fix The PrintNightmare Bug
Nothing about this situation is ideal, but the good news is that Microsoft has already issued a software update that removes the PrintNightmare vulnerability from people’s computers. Windows users should notice a ‘July 2021 Out-of-band update’ hitting their device very soon — if it hasn’t arrived already. Once it’s downloaded and installed, Microsoft notes that “all users are either administrators or non-administrators, delegates will no longer be honored.” If users want to take an extra step in protecting themselves, Microsoft says they can also configure the ‘RestrictDriverInstallationToAdministrators’ to “prevent non-administrators from installing printer drivers on a print server.” This requires changing system-level settings that may be confusing for a lot of users, so feel free to just install the update from Microsoft and call it good there.
In regards to which Windows machines are eligible for the July 2021 Out-of-band update, it’s hitting virtually everything. This includes Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2012 R2, and more. Microsoft is even rolling out the update to Windows 7 — despite ending software support in January 2020.
