The first Patch Tuesday fixes shipped by Microsoft for 2023 have addressed a total of 98 security flaws, including one bug that the company said is being actively exploited in the wild.
It’s also worth noting that the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has added the vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, urging federal agencies to apply patches by January 31, 2023.
Two other privilege escalation vulnerabilities identified as being of high priority affect Microsoft Exchange Server, which stem from an incomplete patch for CVE-2022-41123, according to Qualys.
Redmond has updated its guidance regarding the malicious use of signed drivers to include an updated block list released as part of Windows security updates on January 10, 2023.
The Patch Tuesday updates also arrive as Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT reached end of support on January 10, 2023.
“Continuing to use Windows 8.1 after January 10, 2023 may increase an organization’s exposure to security risks or impact its ability to meet compliance obligations,” the company cautions.
