Govt Issues Serious Alert for Laptops, Desktops: Are You Affected?
Indian government warns of major flaws in Microsoft products. Users advised to install security updates to prevent data loss and system compromise.
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The Indian government on May 5 issued a high-severity cybersecurity advisory for users of Microsoft software, emphasizing urgent updates for Windows machines and other affected platforms. The alert warns of multiple flaws that could allow unauthorized access, data theft or system crashes.
CERT-In identified vulnerabilities across a broad suite of Microsoft offerings, including Windows, Office, Azure, Dynamics, Developer Tools, System Center and legacy products under the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. The advisory applies to both individual users and organizational networks running Microsoft environments.
According to the notice, attackers could exploit these weaknesses to execute remote code, elevate privileges, bypass security controls, access sensitive data, launch spoofing attempts or induce denial‑of‑service conditions. CERT-In assigned a "high" severity rating to the defects, citing risks of data leaks, ransomware deployment and critical service disruptions.
CERT-In recommends that all users install the latest security patches released by Microsoft without delay. IT administrators should confirm patch rollout, review system and firewall logs for irregular activity, and restrict access to critical assets. End users are urged to refrain from opening suspicious links and to keep antivirus software current.
These flaws stem from coding errors, insecure default configurations and inadequate input validation in key Microsoft components. The widespread reliance on these services makes timely updates critical to forestall potential exploits.
