Microsoft fixes multiple actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities as part of Patch Tuesday

Microsoft's monthly Patch Tuesday security updates are always important, but the ones released this week are particularly important. Not only do the fixes address numerous zero-day vulnerabilities, but the security flaws they fix were being actively exploited.

In all, Microsoft has plugged 113 CVE-numbered vulnerabilities this month. 17 of these are marked as being critical, and 96 as important.

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Two of the security flaws that were under active exploitation are CVE-2020-1020 and CVE-2020-0938. These are issues with the Windows Adobe Type Manager Library which could allow for remote code execution, and even allow an attacker to create user accounts with full system rights on devices running Windows 7, 8 and 10.

The patches also include a fix for the CVE-2020-1027 Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. Microsoft explains:

An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Kernel handles objects in memory. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could execute code with elevated permissions.

To exploit the vulnerability, a locally authenticated attacker could run a specially crafted application.

The security update addresses the vulnerability by ensuring the Windows Kernel properly handles objects in memory.

Full details about what was released this Patch Tuesday are available here.

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