Microsoft has released an out-of-band (OOB) update to resolve a significant bug affecting the Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) service in multiple versions of Windows. The flaw, which caused the service to fail, was introduced by security updates released earlier in the month, prompting an emergency fix for enterprise customers.
The unscheduled patch was deployed to address an issue that left the Microsoft Message Queuing service in a broken state following the December security updates. According to reports, the problem was officially acknowledged by Microsoft, which then released the OOB update to correct it. The fix is available for several affected platforms, including Windows 10 22H2 ESU, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, and various Windows Server editions.
MSMQ is a legacy messaging protocol component that enables applications to communicate asynchronously across different networks and systems, even when they are temporarily offline. First introduced in the 1990s with Windows 95 and NT 4.0, it remains a supported and critical component for many corporate applications that depend on it for reliable communication where direct connectivity is not always possible. Prior to the OOB fix, affected administrators were forced to implement workarounds, such as granting modified permissions to the storage folder or rolling back the recent security update entirely.
The emergency update was a direct response to the failure introduced by the regularly scheduled Patch Tuesday update. The initial update inadvertently broke the functionality of the MSMQ service, creating a critical issue for organizations relying on it. Releasing an OOB patch allows Microsoft to resolve the problem quickly without waiting for the next monthly update cycle, minimizing disruption for its enterprise clients.
Microsoft has not publicly disclosed the specific number of organizations or systems affected by the MSMQ failure. The full operational and financial impact on businesses that experienced disruptions remains unspecified. Furthermore, the company has not detailed the specific quality assurance oversight that allowed the bug to be included in the initial security patch.
Administrators of affected systems are advised to install the OOB update to permanently resolve the MSMQ issue, especially if temporary workarounds were implemented. According to a report from The Register, this incident has once again raised questions within the IT community regarding Microsoft’s software testing and update validation processes, particularly for legacy but still widely-used components within the Windows ecosystem.
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