Microsoft Says No More Windows Security Updates Unless AVs Set a Registry Key (bleepingcomputer.com)

Catalin Cimpanu, reporting for BleepingComputer: Microsoft has added a new and very important detail on the support page describing incompatibilities between antivirus (AV) products and the recent Windows Meltdown and Spectre patches. According to an update added this week, Microsoft says that Windows users will not receive the January 2018 Patch Tuesday security updates, or any subsequent Patch Tuesday security updates, unless the antivirus program they are using becomes compatible with the Windows Meltdown and Spectre patches. The way antivirus programs become compatible is by updating their product and then adding a special registry key to the Windows Registry. The presence of this registry key tells the Windows OS the AV product is compatible and will trigger the Windows Update that installs the Meltdown and Spectre patches that address critical flaws in the design of modern CPUs.

Comments

Now windows malware will mess with that key to sto

[Joe_Dragon]

Now windows malware will mess with that key to stop updates

Something wrong here

[onyxruby]

Microsoft finally comes up with a way for the user to potentially have some level of control over their patches. All you have to do is mess around with a registry key and forgo all patches altogether. People have been demanding to have some level of control and this is what Microsoft comes up with...

Re:Something wrong here

[Anonymous Coward]

I do the same, but Windows does periodically reenable them.

What if you don't an AV?

[Anonymous Coward]

Who runs AV's anyway?

Legitimate decision.

[Gravis Zero]

It pains me to side with Microsoft but their decision here is a good and legitimate one.

The key to it's legitimacy is this quote:

There is a problem where some anti-virus vendors are using techniques to bypass Kernel Patch Protection by injecting a hypervisor which they use to intercept syscalls and make assumptions about memory locations — memory locations which are now changing with the Meltdown fixes.

Re:Now windows malware will mess with that key to

[jawtheshark]

I came to say exactly this. I have no idea how they are going to protect it from a program that acquires root (Admin) privileges somehow. A Malware program that installs itself, has these kind of rights.