Late last month, Microsoft released Security Bulletin MS12-020, a “Critical” level system patch which resolves a Windows system vulnerability through which remote attackers could gain access to affected computers.
The vulnerability, which concerns Microsoft’s Remote Desktop service (“RDP”), affects all versions of Windows; unpatched systems that have RDP turned on are at risk of remote attack.
At the time of release of the patch, Microsoft believed that a successful exploit utilizing the RDP vulnerability would be developed by hackers within a month; however, a bare-bones attack program, capable of locking up or crashing target computers, was released “into the wild” the same day the patch was released, surfacing on a Chinese website.
Island Technologies urges all Windows users to take the following steps immediately:
- Make sure Remote Desktop is turned off
- Apply the Windows System patch
As always, Island Technologies’ Tech Support Team is here to help — if you have any questions or concerns about this Critical Windows vulnerability, please give us a call at (818) 832-2310.