Flexis January 2025 Patch Recommendation

Patches Microsoft released in December 2025:

 

  • KB5049983: 2025-01 Cumulative Update for Microsoft server operating system version 21H2 for x64-based Systems
  • KB5050008: 2025-01 Cumulative Update for Windows Server 2019 (1809) for x64-based Systems.
  • KB5050109: 2025-01 Servicing Stack Update for Windows Server 2016 for x64-based Systems

Impacted Products:

Microsoft-Windows

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft-Edge

Microsoft Edge

(HTML-based)

Microsoft-Edge

Microsoft Edge

 (Chromium-based)

Internet-Explorer

Internet Explorer

Microsoft-Office

Microsoft Office and Microsoft Office Services and Web Apps

Windows-Defenser

Windows Defender

Visual-Studio

Visual Studio

6

ASP.NET Core

Untitled design (1)

Chakra Core

Microsoft-Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics

NET-Framework

.NET Framework

NET-Core

.NET Core

Please note the following information regarding the security updates:

Windows 10 Enterprise and Education and Windows 10 Home and Pro lifecycle pages, Windows 10 will reach end of support on October 14, 2025. The current version, 22H2, will be the final version of Windows 10. The following editions will remain in support with monthly security update releases through that date:

Home

Pro

Pro Education

Pro for Workstations

Education

Enterprise

Enterprise multi-session

KB5049983: Windows Server 2022

Improvements

This security update includes quality improvements. Below is a summary of the key issues that this update addresses when you install this KB. If there are new features, it lists them as well. The bold text within the brackets indicates the item or area of the change we are documenting.

[Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file (DriverSiPolicy.p7b)] This update adds to the list of drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.​​​​​​​

If you installed earlier updates, only the new updates contained in this package will be downloaded and installed on your device.

Known issues in this update

Symptom

Following the installation of the October 2024 security update, some customers report that the OpenSSH (Open Secure Shell) service fails to start, preventing SSH connections. The service fails with no detailed logging, and manual intervention is required to run the sshd.exe process.

This issue is affecting both enterprise, IOT, and education customers, with a limited number of devices impacted. Microsoft is investigating whether consumer customers using Home or Pro editions of Windows are affected. 

Devices that have certain Citrix components installed might be unable to complete installation of the January 2025 Windows security update. This issue was observed on devices with Citrix Session Recording Agent (SRA) version 2411. The 2411 version of this application was released in December 2024.

Affected devices might initially download and apply the January 2025 Windows security update correctly, such as via the Windows Update page in Settings. However, when restarting the device to complete the update installation, an error message with text similar to “Something didn’t go as planned. No need to worry – undoing changes” appears. The device will then revert to the Windows updates previously present on the device. 

This issue likely affects a limited number of organizations as version 2411 of the SRA application is a new version. Home users are not expected to be affected by this issue. 

Workaround

Customers can temporarily resolve the issue by updating permissions (ACLs) on the affected directories. Follow these steps:

  1. Open PowerShell as an Administrator.
  2. Update the permissions for C:\ProgramData\ssh and C:\ProgramData\ssh\logs to allow full control for SYSTEM and the Administrators group, while allowing read access for Authenticated Users. You can restrict read access to specific users or groups by modifying the permissions string if needed.

Use the following commands to update the permissions:

$directoryPath = “C:\ProgramData\ssh” $acl = Get-Acl -Path $directoryPath $sddlString = “O:BAD:PAI(A;OICI;FA;;;SY)(A;OICI;FA;;;BA)(A;OICI;0x1200a9;;;AU)” $securityDescriptor = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.RawSecurityDescriptor $sddlString $acl.SetSecurityDescriptorSddlForm($securityDescriptor.GetSddlForm(“All”)) Set-Acl -Path $directoryPath -AclObject $acl

  1. Repeat the above steps for C:\ProgramData\ssh\logs.

Microsoft is actively investigating the issue and will provide a resolution in an upcoming Windows update. Further communications will be provided when a resolution or additional workarounds are available.

 

Citrix has documented this issue, including a workaround, which can be performed prior to installing the January 2025 Windows security update. For details, see Citrix’s documentation.

Microsoft is working with Citrix to address this issue and will update this documentation once a resolution is available.

KB5050008: Win 10 Ent LTSC 2019 Win 10 IoT Ent LTSC 2019 Windows 10 IoT Core LTSC Windows Server 2019

Improvements

This security update includes improvements. Below is a summary of the key issues that this update addresses when you install this KB. If there are new features, it lists them as well. The bold text within the brackets indicates the item or area of the change we are documenting.

  • [Windows Kernel Vulnerable Driver Blocklist file (DriverSiPolicy.p7b)] This update adds to the list of drivers that are at risk for Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attacks.​​​​​​​

Known issues in this update

Symptom

Following the installation of the October 2024 security update, some customers report that the OpenSSH (Open Secure Shell) service fails to start, preventing SSH connections. The service fails with no detailed logging, and manual intervention is required to run the sshd.exe process.

This issue is affecting both enterprise, IOT, and education customers, with a limited number of devices impacted. Microsoft is investigating whether consumer customers using Home or Pro editions of Windows are affected.

Devices that have certain Citrix components installed might be unable to complete installation of the January 2025 Windows security update. This issue was observed on devices with Citrix Session Recording Agent (SRA) version 2411. The 2411 version of this application was released in December 2024.
Affected devices might initially download and apply the January 2025 Windows security update correctly, such as via the Windows Update page in Settings. However, when restarting the device to complete the update installation, an error message with text similar to “Something didn’t go as planned. No need to worry – undoing changes” appears. The device will then revert to the Windows updates previously present on the device. 
This issue likely affects a limited number of organizations as version 2411 of the SRA application is a new version. Home users are not expected to be affected by this issue. 

Workaround

Customers can temporarily resolve the issue by updating permissions (ACLs) on the affected directories. Follow these steps:

  1. Open PowerShell as an Administrator.
  2. Update the permissions for C:\ProgramData\ssh and C:\ProgramData\ssh\logs to allow full control for SYSTEM and the Administrators group, while allowing read access for Authenticated Users. You can restrict read access to specific users or groups by modifying the permissions string if needed.

Use the following commands to update the permissions:

$directoryPath = “C:\ProgramData\ssh” $acl = Get-Acl -Path $directoryPath $sddlString = “O:BAD:PAI(A;OICI;FA;;;SY)(A;OICI;FA;;;BA)(A;OICI;0x1200a9;;;AU)” $securityDescriptor = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.RawSecurityDescriptor $sddlString $acl.SetSecurityDescriptorSddlForm($securityDescriptor.GetSddlForm(“All”)) Set-Acl -Path $directoryPath -AclObject $acl

  1. Repeat the above steps for C:\ProgramData\ssh\logs.

Microsoft is actively investigating the issue and will provide a resolution in an upcoming Windows update. Further communications will be provided when a resolution or additional workarounds are available.

Citrix has documented this issue, including a workaround, which can be performed prior to installing the January 2025 Windows security update. For details, see Citrix’s documentation.

Microsoft is working with Citrix to address this issue and will update this documentation once a resolution is available. 

KB5050109: Windows 10, version 1607, all editions Windows Server 2016, all editions

Description: Install this update to resolve issues in Windows. For a complete listing of the issues that are included in this update, see the associated Microsoft Knowledge Base article for more information. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

This update makes quality improvements to the servicing stack, which is the component that installs Windows updates. Servicing stack updates (SSU) make sure that you have a robust and reliable servicing stack so that your devices can receive and install Microsoft updates.

Important Not installing the latest SSU before applying Windows updates might result in the Windows update not being offered until the latest SSU is installed.

Known issues in this update.