Microsoft's latest Windows update breaks VPNs, and there's no fix : technology

[-] mindlight@lemm.ee 154 points 2 months ago

PCWorld:

Microsoft’s latest Windows update breaks VPNs, and there’s no fix

What Microsoft actually said:

Windows devices might face VPN connection failures after installing the April 2024 security update, or KB5036893. We are working on a resolution and will provide an update in an upcoming release

I'm so fed up with everyone trying to make a quick buck on our constant struggle to stay safe.

[-] w2tpmf@lemmy.world 35 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The reality is that it broke "something* in certain lpt2/ipsec connections using certain authentication protocols, although they haven't yet specified which particular connection technologies are affected.

However this does not mean that a blanket affect of ALL VPN connection not working is an issue.

So far we are unaffected on clients using ipsec and PAP protocol authentication, nor connections using Anyconnect (aka Cisco Secure Connect).

I have also not seen any affect on private VPN clients such as PIA or Nord on machines that have this update.

I suspect what broke was clients using MSChap, Microsoft's own protocol for authentication for VPN clients.

Source: an admin with 200+ client machines with VPN connections that are not impacted after installing this update.

[-] nublug@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 2 months ago

absolutely bonkers take

[-] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 70 points 2 months ago

I dunno man. I'm convinced that pretty much any mention of VPN these days is just an ad for vpns. That's with this article looks like.

[-] zaemz@lemmy.world 42 points 2 months ago

Yeah, you're not wrong that the article kinda sets itself up for the "lookit our recommended VPNs" pitch.

There's no way Microsoft would purposefully disable VPNs from working. I can guarantee that they require VPNs for thousands of roles in the company, let alone breaking it for government agencies that require VPNs, etc.

It is good to know that a specific update can break something ahead of time, though. Then at least you can avoid it.

[-] Kiernian@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago

There's no way Microsoft would purposefully disable VPNs from working

No, but they've done it accidentally before.

One time a few years ago it broke all LT2P VPN's unless you removed a specific KB########.

IIRC, six months later there was still no fix.

I think it's been fixed now, though.

[-] db2@lemmy.world 26 points 2 months ago

And now a word from our sponsor, Nor-

[-] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 15 points 2 months ago

Skip 10 seconds. Skip 10 seconds. Skip 10 seconds.

[-] lvxferre@mander.xyz 23 points 2 months ago

Give up and install SponsorBlock.

[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 8 points 2 months ago

But it's NordVPN.com/BigMoney. The ad is the best part of the video.

[-] 4am@lemm.ee 6 points 2 months ago

Bounced on my boy’s Raycons to this for hours

[-] db2@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

I do hope you were playing an invigorating game of Raid Shadow Legends at the time.

[-] metaStatic@kbin.social 6 points 2 months ago

all ad copy is an ad for sponsor block

[-] NGC2346@sh.itjust.works 0 points 2 months ago

Its actually real news

[+] Kethal@lemmy.world -13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

My workplace requires VPN for Web sites that are authenticated, require 2FA and are encrypted. It's infuriatingly stupid. I feel like someone higher up got sold a useless contract by a good VPN salesperson.

[-] Badeendje@lemmy.world 40 points 2 months ago

Most likely all connections are run through the gateway of the company allowing them to apply security to all web traffic on their clients.

It might hinder you but there is plenty of method to this madness.

[-] AlphaAutist@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

Ya that just sounds like good practice for internal services.

@Kethal@lemmy.world Maybe see if you can use a FIDO2 device like yubikey for 2fa

[-] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 13 points 2 months ago

I applaud your IT leadership/CIO for being willing to do this.

Most companies are far too passive and think "aIt won't happen to us".

I've seen companies scammed of $1mil in a single transaction because they sent credentials in email, to a scammer.

Had they used a credential management system this wouldn't have happened.

Every layer of security helps.

[-] Kethal@lemmy.world 0 points 2 months ago

Yeah, maybe they should encrypt it a third time. You never know.

[-] cy_narrator@discuss.tchncs.de 26 points 2 months ago

It may be unintentional bug. People in the enterprise world need VPN for corporate purposes, they will fix it dont worry

[-] MakePorkGreatAgain@lemmy.basedcount.com 22 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

thats going to be an issue - at my work roughly 60% of the userbase is connected via VPN at any given point - so, ~40,000 people or so

[-] Qwaffle_waffle@sh.itjust.works 0 points 2 months ago

That's a paddlin.

[-] sgibson5150@slrpnk.net 22 points 2 months ago

Doesn't seem to have impacted Wireguard.

load more comments (4 replies)

[-] BaroqueInMind@kbin.run 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Looks like their policy to prefer cheap labor they hire from Asia rather than paying local U.S. developers a living wage is starting to bite them in the ass.

[-] tsonfeir@lemm.ee 7 points 2 months ago

Obligatory Linux plug.

[-] Holzkohlen@feddit.de 5 points 2 months ago

You are gonna test the software for a multi-billion dollar cooperation and you are gonna like it!

[-] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 months ago

Is it too late to turn off security updates and avoid this issue?

[-] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 1 points 2 months ago

And this is exactly why I don't do auto updates (and people around here berate me for it, saying my systems are unsafe).

Hell, Windows LTSC only gets updates twice a year (which is what I run).

[-] InEnduringGrowStrong@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

LTSC is great.
Much less bloat and bs too.

[-] downpunxx@fedia.io 2 points 2 months ago

Has anyone here been running into this issue realtime since the update?

[+] chemicalwonka@discuss.tchncs.de -1 points 2 months ago

[deleted]

[-] Coreidan@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Why? The entire business world uses and needs VPNs. This accomplishes nothing for MS. There will be a PR shit storm in MS from every direction if they don’t fix it.

I’d agree if this only affected normal people but it also affects every corporation that does business with MS.

[+] just_another_person@lemmy.world -6 points 2 months ago

So skip Windows. Why does anyone need it anymore?

[-] vodkasolution@feddit.it 5 points 2 months ago

Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects :/

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

All work via Wine. I use each of them. No issues.

[-] rebelsimile@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Can Wine run 32bit Windows adobe software?

[-] ArchAengelus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 months ago

I haven’t tested those myself, but wine has excellent 32 bit compatibility in general. If it’s on the list at wine hq, then it probably works

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world -1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Yes, if you're on 32-bit hardware. It's unlikely you are. Backwards compatible binary execution should be fine.

[-] rebelsimile@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

I have a 32 bit machine that is still in service for this task and some others, but I’d rather run it on a modern machine (m1 mac)

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world -4 points 2 months ago

Have fun with that.

[-] lurch@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The problem is bureaucratic: Using them with Wine is not the manufacturers intent, so it may break for a while and theres nothing the manufacturer will do to fix it. The companies of the users often don't dare rely on this. It's also why some companies require to use redhat or ubuntu for a distro, because they don't dare running anything without a support contract. They think that way there's someone external to blame, call for help or sue, if things break. I'm not a fan of this, but encountered it a few times on different jobs. At my current job one of our clients has this with redhat and tbh they actually had to call redhat support twice this year, because their server got messed up during upgrades.

[-] vodkasolution@feddit.it 1 points 2 months ago

Big files? No issues? They have problems on Win, I can't imagine on Wine (that I find fine for almost everything else)

[-] desmosthenes@lemmy.world -1 points 2 months ago

works on osx too

[-] pycorax@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Games. I have a Steam Deck so yea I get that Proton works really well now but it's still not perfect. And also I write software for customers that use Windows so ¯\(ツ)/¯

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