Alert: Microsoft Releases Patch Updates for 5 New Zero

CVE-2022-44698 is a security feature bypass in Microsoft Defender SmartScreen in which specially crafted files do not properly trigger the SmartScreen Mark-of-the-Web warning prompt. The flaw is triggered over the network but requires user interaction: an attacker typically delivers a crafted file via a malicious link or phishing email, and when the user clicks or opens it, SmartScreen fails to show its usual warning. An attacker gains the ability to run malicious content on a user's machine without the standard SmartScreen prompt, making the flaw an effective delivery and initial-access aid — it has documented use in ransomware campaigns. Anyone running the affected Windows releases is exposed: Windows 10 versions 1607 through 22H2, Windows 11 21H2, and Windows Server 2016, 2019, and 2022. The vulnerability was exploited as a zero-day before patching, was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2022-12-13 with known ransomware use, and Google reported a ransomware gang abusing it in the wild.

Do: Apply Microsoft's December 2022 security updates (or any later cumulative updates) for Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server, prioritizing user workstations and systems exposed to phishing or web downloads, per the CISA KEV required action. Until patched, reinforce user awareness that downloaded files may not trigger the usual SmartScreen warning, and consider restricting download or execution of risky file types. Confirm remediation against CISA KEV guidance and treat this as high-priority given known ransomware exploitation.

CVE-2023-24880 is a security feature bypass (incorrect authorization, CWE-863) in Windows SmartScreen: when a user opens a file carrying Mark-of-the-Web — such as an email attachment or a downloaded file — Windows fails to display the SmartScreen 'Open File – Security Warning' prompt that normally precedes execution. An attacker who can get a user to open a crafted malicious file therefore gains the ability to run attacker-chosen code on that machine without the SmartScreen warning, defeating a core client-side defense; the bypass was typically chained with a lure or another flaw to deliver malware, including loaders feeding ransomware operations. Any user or organization running the affected Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server builds is affected, though exploitation requires local access and user interaction (CVSS 4.4, local attack vector). The flaw was a zero-day exploited in the wild before Microsoft patched it in the March 2023 Patch Tuesday release — one of two actively exploited flaws fixed that month — and Google researchers reported a ransomware gang exploited it; CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog on 2023-03-14 with known ransomware use, and EPSS rates the probability of exploitation within 30 days at 78.2% (100th percentile). No public proof-of-concept is known, but confirmed in-the-wild exploitation means defenders should treat it as actively targeted.

Do: Apply the March 2023 Windows security updates to all affected Windows 10 (1607, 1809, 20H2, 21H2, 22H2), Windows 11 (21H2, 22H2), and Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 systems via Windows Update, WSUS, or your patch-management tooling, and verify coverage in your inventory — this is CISA's required action for KEV. Until patched, treat any host whose users open untrusted email attachments or downloads as exposed, since the bypass silently skips the SmartScreen warning; updating is the only complete fix, with no published configuration workaround.

CVE-2023-32049 is a security feature bypass in Microsoft Windows Defender SmartScreen, the mechanism that warns users before they run downloaded or untrusted content; specially crafted content delivered over the network causes SmartScreen to skip that warning when a user opens it. The flaw requires user interaction (CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/UI:R), so attackers must lure a victim into clicking or opening the crafted URL or file, and in exchange they gain the ability to run content without the expected SmartScreen prompt, typically as a link in a chain that delivers malware or establishes initial access. All users of Windows 10 (1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2), Windows 11 (21H2, 22H2), and Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 are affected. The flaw was fixed in Microsoft's July 2023 Patch Tuesday batch (132 vulnerabilities, six under active attack) and was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-07-11, confirming in-the-wild exploitation; no public proof-of-concept is known and ransomware use is unknown.

Do: Apply Microsoft's July 2023 (or later) cumulative Windows security updates on every affected Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server release, per the vendor instructions and CISA KEV required action. After patching, verify SmartScreen and Mark-of-the-Web warning behavior remain enabled and intact, and prioritize fleet-wide rollout given confirmed in-the-wild exploitation; treat unpatched users as susceptible to warning-free delivery of malicious files and links.

CVE-2023-36025 is a security feature bypass in Windows SmartScreen in which a specially crafted file — exploited in the wild using Internet Shortcut (.url) files — evades the Mark-of-the-Web warning SmartScreen normally displays for content downloaded from the internet. The flaw is network-reachable and requires no authentication, but user interaction is required: it triggers when a user clicks the crafted file delivered via phishing email, chat, or a web download. By bypassing the SmartScreen prompt, the attacker removes a key user-facing defense that would otherwise flag or warn about the file, which facilitated delivery of malware in the observed DarkGate and Mispadu campaigns. Any unpatched Windows 10 (1507, 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2), Windows 11 (21H2, 22H2, 23H2), or Windows Server 2008/2012/2016/2019 system is affected, which at the time of disclosure effectively meant the entire supported Windows installed base. It is confirmed exploited in the wild: CISA added it to the KEV catalog on 2023-11-14, EPSS scores 30-day exploitation probability at 88.1% (100th percentile), though no public PoC is known.

Do: Apply Microsoft's November 2023 cumulative Windows security updates (the release containing the fix) on all affected Windows 10/11 and Windows Server systems; no configuration-based workaround is widely documented, so patching is the primary mitigation. Until patched, treat unexpected Internet Shortcut (.url) files arriving via email or chat with extra suspicion, since they can execute without the usual SmartScreen warning, and hunt for DarkGate/Mispadu indicators. Given the KEV listing and 88.1% EPSS, prioritize this fix in the current patch cycle; ransomware-associated use is reported as unknown.

Windows Pragmatic General Multicast (PGM) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

ASP.NET Core Denial of Service Vulnerability

Azure CLI REST Command Information Disclosure Vulnerability

Microsoft Office Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability

This flaw makes curl overflow a heap based buffer in the SOCKS5 proxy handshake. When curl is asked to pass along the host name to the SOCKS5 proxy to allow that to resolve the address instead of it getting done by curl itself, the maximum length that host name can be is 255 bytes. If the host name is detected to be longer, curl switches to local name resolving and instead passes on the resolved address only. Due to this bug, the local variable that means "let the host resolve the name" could get the wrong value during a slow SOCKS5 handshake, and contrary to the intention, copy the too long host name to the target buffer instead of copying just the resolved address there. The target buffer being a heap based buffer, and the host name coming from the URL that curl has been told to operate with.