Windows/IE: Issues and confusion with updates (10/03/2019)

[German]Microsoft has released a cumulative security update for Internet Explorer on October 3, 2019, as well as an optional bug fix update for various Windows versions to fix the printer bug. At the end of the day, it turns out that the updates raise more questions and problems than they solve.

In the night from October 3 to October 4, 2019, I summarized hints about these updates in the following two blog posts.

Internet Explorer: Cumulative Update KB4524135 (10/03/2019)
Windows Updates fixes printer bug (Oct. 3, 2019)

The comments I received to those articles (German, English) reveals inconsistencies and additional errors. Here is an outline of the situation.

Internet Explorer updates knitted with a hot needle?

Cumulative security supdate KB4524135 for Internet Explorer 9 till 11 shall fix a vulnerability CVE-2019-1367 (that became public in September) in older Windows versions (Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Server pendants).

I have given some hints in the blog post Internet Explorer: Cumulative Update KB4524135 (10/03/2019). It also mentions the Windows versions that this update applies to. For Windows 10, the fix for the vulnerability is provided through cumulative updates for the various Windows 10 builds.

Microsoft already writes in support article KB4524135 that Internet Explorer displays an incorrect update installed.

On Windows 7, the "About Internet Explorer" dialog box in Internet Explorer 11 may list a different KB number, even when you have KB4524135 installed.

Exactly this discussion has originated within my German blog. In this comment, Blog reader Bolko tries to unravel Microsoft's inconsitencies with various patches (the KB number used in the update's internal metafiles has not been adapted to the KB number under which the patch was released).

As a result, the rollup update KB4524157 installs the older IE11 version 11.0.9600.19503, while the IE 11 update KB4524135 installs version 1.0.9600.19504.

The printer bug and other issues

Even more confusing is the situation with Microsoft's attempt to solve the printer problem (see my blog post Windows: Printer issues after Sept. 2019 Update confirmed) in Windows, which was caused by September updates, with subsequent updates.

In the blog post Windows Updates fixes printer bug (Oct. 3, 2019), I enlisted the updates available for the various Windows versions. There was a hint from me that the first feedback I got, was that the printer bug wasn't fixed for all users. If I go into the comments I received for my blog post, I see the following picture:

• The Windows update in question (see the list in Windows Updates fixes printer bug (Oct. 3, 2019)) did nothing to fix the printer bugs – so the error is still there (see this comment, for example).
• Users who had working printers until now suddenly are facing printing issues after installing the update – so the error was newly introduced (see this German comment). I also read something like this on MS Answers.

The observation from the following tweet, which Susan Bradley pulled out of askwoody.com, is also very ugly.

I'd like to thank @Microsoft for pushing out Windows 10 v1903 w/KB4524147 included, breaking the Print Spooler service, bypassing our WSUS, and wasting hours of my time. Seriously, thanks for the job security. @AskWoody

— Kobold Curry Chef (@KoboldCurryChef) October 4, 2019

Those who run into these problems should try to reinstall the printer driver. For a blog reader this has helped. The alternative would be to update the printer driver via the Update Driver button in the Device Manager using the .inf file. Maybe it will help – otherwise there is only uninstalling the updates that cause this bug.

Addendum: I found this thread in Technet forum, where more updates are mentioned for this issue. And this post enlists the following updates that may causes printer issues:

KB4517211
KB4522016
KB4522014
KB4524147
KB4524148
KB4522015

There was a suspicion that it might only have to do with HP printers. In the meantime, however, I have received feedback that other printers are also affected. Interesting is this spiceworks.com post, where a user traced the crash of the printer spooler back to the jscript.dll. The post is from 30.9.2019 – before the October 2019 update. But in all updates Microsoft patches in the IE JScript security area.

• Within this German comment blog reader Kay mentions, that the massive printing issues caused by the old update KB4517211 have been fixed for him by the new update KB4524147. But he has the problem that the Info-Center (button at the bottom right next to time) and "Windows "+"P" don't work anymore. On MS Answers there is this more recent thread, which already discusses issues with the Action Center at the end of September 2019.
• Other German users reported install issues in Windows 7 SP1, or freezing application and more in Windows 8.1.
• At this MS Answers forum post someone reports that the start menu does not work anymore after installing the update KB4524147 in Windows 10 Version 1903. Woody Leonhard already discussed this in this short article on October 3, 2019. Meanwhile the reports of affected people are increasing.

Woody Leonhard has published this ComputerWorld article in the meantime, where he collected further issues in connection with the patches. It breaks KB4524156 possibly ASP applications on Windows Server 2012 R2. It may be isolated cases – but it doesn't really make you happy.

Addendum: Bleeping Computer is reporting here cases, where users have boot issues after installing update KB4524147. And Woody Leonhard says, that the updates has been pulled.

In the past few hours, all the MS "zero-day" out-of-band patches were re-released with a new date of Oct. 4. Many reports that they've been pulled from Windows Update – although they're still in the catalog. Bugs still crawling out of the woodwork. https://t.co/hVYPQD6Bkk

— Woody Leonhard (@AskWoody) October 5, 2019

Similar articles:
Windows: Vulnerabilities in IE and Defender (09/23/2019)
Windows: Printer issues after Sept. 2019 Update confirmed
Windows 10: Issues with Updates KB4522015, KB4522016 / KB4517211
Internet Explorer: Cumulative Update KB4524135 (10/03/2019)
Windows Updates fixes printer bug (Oct. 3, 2019)