If you haven’t yet installed the May Windows patches (yes, May), your machine just inherited a giant “Kick me” sign. Credit: Thinkstock/Microsoft There’s been a lot of discussion about BlueKeep, its ramifications and various strategies for blocking it. In a nutshell, it’s a security hole in the Windows Remote Desktop Protocol that allows a malicious program to enter your machine – if you have Remote Dekstop turned on, it’s accessible directly from the internet, and you haven’t installed the May patches. Two weeks ago, Susan Bradley posted a CSO article that details ways admins can avoid using RDP. I’ve seen reams of advice about blocking ports, disabling services, setting authentication levels, deploying voodoo dolls, reading chicken entrails…, but the simplest way for almost everybody to avoid the problem is to install the May (or later) Windows patches. Earlier today, Kevin Beaumont – who I consider to be a world-class authority on the subject – posted this warning: The first public, free #BlueKeep exploit is out in Metasploit now. He, in turn, points to this article by Brent Cook on the Rapid7 site: By default, Metasploit’s BlueKeep exploit only identifies the target operating system version and whether the target is likely to be vulnerable. The exploit does not currently support automatic targeting; it requires the user to manually specify target details before it will attempt further exploitation. If the module is interrupted during exploitation, or if the incorrect target is specified, the target will crash with a bluescreen. Users should also note that some elements of the exploit require knowledge of how Windows kernel memory is laid out, which varies depending on both OS version and the underlying host platform (virtual or physical); the user currently needs to specify this correctly to run the exploit successfully. Server versions of Windows also require a non-default configuration for successful exploitation—namely, changing a registry setting to enable audio sharing. This limitation may be removed in the future. So the next worm isn’t yet a massive threat – but you can bet that it will be. Soon. Get the May (or later) Windows patches applied. Now. Thx @NetDef More on AskWoody. Related content how-to 8 ways to protect your Windows laptop's battery health With these simple, easy-to-follow steps you can keep your PC laptop’s battery healthy and can squeeze out more time when on the road. By Chris Hoffman Sep 11, 2024 10 mins Batteries Laptops Windows 10 feature Microsoft cheat sheets: Dive into Windows and Office apps These guides will help you find your way around several generations of Microsoft’s Office apps for Windows — and Windows itself. By Valerie Potter Sep 10, 2024 13 mins Small and Medium Business Windows 10 Microsoft 365 feature Windows 11: A guide to the updates Here’s what you need to know about the latest updates to Windows 11 as they’re released from Microsoft. Now updated for KB5043076, released on Sept. 10, 2024. By Preston Gralla Sep 10, 2024 65 mins Small and Medium Business Microsoft Windows 11 feature Windows 10: A guide to the updates Here's what you need to know about each update to the current version of Windows 10 as it's released from Microsoft. Now updated for KB5043064, released on Sept. 10, 2024. By Preston Gralla Sep 10, 2024 148 mins Small and Medium Business Windows 10 Microsoft Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe