Microsoft Security Bulletins For November 2015

Welcome to the Microsoft Windows patch overview for November 2015. The guide provides you with relevant information about all security and non-security patches that Microsoft released for Windows and other company products in the past 30 day period.

It begins with an executive summary that lists the most important information in condensed form, followed by distribution information.

The distribution sections list all versions of Windows and other Microsoft products that have received patches this month.

This is followed by the list of security bulletins, security advisories and revisions, and non-security updates.

Last but not least, information about deployment are provided.

Executive Summary

• A total of 12 security bulletins have been released on the November 2015 Patch Day.
• Four of the bulletins are rated as critical, the highest available rating, the remaining eight as important, the second highest rating.
• Threats range from remote code execution over elevation of privilege to spoofing and information disclosure.
• All client versions of Windows are affected by at least one vulnerability in a critical way

Operating System Distribution

Windows 10 is the only client-based operating system that is affected by vulnerabilities in two critically rated bulletins while all other client systems only by one. The only reason for that is that it is affected by MS15-112 which describes issues in Internet Explorer and MS15-113 which describes issues in Microsoft Edge.

• Windows Vista: 1 critical, 4 important
• Windows 7:  1 critical, 4 important
• Windows 8 and 8.1: 1 critical, 5 important
• Windows RT and RT 8.1: 1 critical, 4 important
• Windows 10: 2 critical, 3 important
• Windows Server 2008:  4 important, 1 moderate
• Windows Server 2008 R2: 4 important, 1 moderate
• Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2: 5 important, 1 moderate
• Server core: 5 important

Other Microsoft Products

All Microsoft Office products are affected by Ms15-116 (Security Update for Microsoft Office to Address Remote Code Execution).

• Microsoft Office 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016: 1 important
• Office 2013 RT: 1 important
• Microsoft Office for Mac: 1 important
• Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack SP3, Excel Viewer and Word Viewer: 1 important
• Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007, 2010 and 2013: 1 important
• Microsoft Office Web Apps 2010 and 2013: 1 important
• Microsoft Lync Smart Room System: 2 important
• Microsoft Lync 2010 and 2013: 2 important
• Skype for Business 2016: 2 important

Security Bulletins

MS15-112 - Critical - Remote Code Execution - Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (3104517) - This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Internet Explorer. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerabilities could gain the same user rights as the current user. Customers whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.

MS15-113 - Critical - Remote Code Execution - Cumulative Security Update for Microsoft Edge (3104519) - This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Edge. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted webpage using Microsoft Edge. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerabilities could gain the same user rights as the current user. Customers whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.

MS15-114 - Critical - Remote Code Execution- Security Update for Windows Journal to Address Remote Code Execution (3100213) - This security update resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Journal file. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

MS15-115 - Critical - Remote Code Execution- Security Update for Microsoft Windows to Address Remote Code Execution (3105864) - This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if an attacker convinces a user to open a specially crafted document or to visit an untrusted webpage that contains embedded fonts.

MS15-116 - Important - Remote Code Execution - Security Update for Microsoft Office to Address Remote Code Execution (3104540) - This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Microsoft Office file. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerabilities could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. Customers whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than those who operate with administrative user rights.

MS15-117 - Important - Elevation of Privilege - Security Update for NDIS to Address Elevation of Privilege (3101722) - This security update resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows NDIS. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker logs on to a system and runs a specially crafted application.

MS15-118 - Important - Elevation of Privilege - Security Update for .NET Framework to Address Elevation of Privilege (3104507)  - This security update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft .NET Framework. The most severe of the vulnerabilities could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker convinces a user to navigate to a compromised website or open a link in a specially crafted email that is designed to inject client-side code into the user’s browser.

MS15-119 - Important - Elevation of Privilege - Security Update for Winsock to Address Elevation of Privilege (3104521) - This security update resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow elevation of privilege if an attacker logs on to a target system and runs specially crafted code that is designed to exploit the vulnerability.

MS15-120 - Important - Denial of Service - Security Update for IPSec to Address Denial of Service (3102939) - This security update resolves a denial of service vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could cause the server to become nonresponsive. To exploit the vulnerability an attacker must have valid credentials.

MS15-121 - Important - Spoofing - Security Update for Schannel to Address Spoofing (3081320)
This security update resolves a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow spoofing if an attacker performs a man-in-the-middle (MiTM) attack between a client and a legitimate server.

MS15-122 - Important - Security Feature Bypass - Security Update for Kerberos to Address Security Feature Bypass (3105256) - This security update resolves a security feature bypass in Microsoft Windows. An attacker could bypass Kerberos authentication on a target machine and decrypt drives protected by BitLocker. The bypass can be exploited only if the target system has BitLocker enabled without a PIN or USB key, the computer is domain-joined, and the attacker has physical access to the computer.

MS15-123 - Important - Information Disclosure - Security Update for Skype for Business and Microsoft Lync to Address Information Disclosure (3105872)  - This security update resolves a vulnerability in Skype for Business and Microsoft Lync. The vulnerability could allow information disclosure if an attacker invites a target user to an instant message session and then sends that user a message containing specially crafted JavaScript content.

Security Advisories and updates

Microsoft Security Advisory 2755801 - Update for Vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Security Advisory 3108638 - Update for Windows Hyper-V to Address CPU Weakness

MS15-106: Cumulative update for Windows 10 (KB3105210) - This update for Windows 10 includes functionality improvements and resolves the vulnerabilities MS15-106 and MS15-107.

Security Update for Internet Explorer Flash Player for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Server 2012 (KB3105216)

Microsoft Security Advisory 2755801 - Update for Vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge

Non-security related updates

Update for Windows Embedded Standard 7, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2 (KB3102810) - Installing and searching for updates is slow and high CPU usage occurs in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3102812) - Installing and searching for updates is slow and high CPU usage occurs in Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2

Dynamic update for Windows 10 (KB3106937) - Compatibility update for upgrading to Windows 10: October 29, 2015

Update for Windows 10 (KB3106928) - OOBE Update for Windows 10: October 29, 2015

Update for Windows 10 (KB3106932) - Compatibility update for upgrading to Windows 10: October 29, 2015

Dynamic Update for Windows 10 (KB3106937) - Compatibility update for upgrading to Windows 10: October 29, 2015

Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3034348) - "Access denied" error when you use a Windows Store app to configure printer property settings in Windows

Update for Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Server 2012 (KB3058163) - Activation doesn't work if the sppsvc.exe process doesn't start automatically in Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012

Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3078405) - "0x0000004A" or "0x0000009F" Stop error occurs in Windows 8.1

Update for Windows 7 (KB3081954) - Update for Work Folders improvements in Windows 7 SP1

Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3087418) - Hebrew text is reversed in Visio 2013 on Windows 8.1-based devices

Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3091297) - You can't logon to an AD FS server from a Windows Store app on a Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 device

Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3094486) - KDS service doesn't start if domain controllers are located in a child OU in Windows Server 2012 R2

Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8, and Windows RT (KB3095108) - Updated APN database entry for Transatel (France, Worldwide) network for Windows 8.1 and Windows 8

Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2 (KB3095649) - Win32k.sys update in Windows: October 2015

Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3095701) - TPM 2.0 device can't be recognized in Windows Server 2012 R2

Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3096433) - Chkdsk command freezes when it's running in Windows

Update for Windows 10 (KB3105514) - Cumulative update for Windows 10: October 20, 2015

Dynamic Update for Windows 10 (KB3097626) - Compatibility update for upgrading to Windows 10: October 14, 2015

How to download and install the November 2015 security updates

The November 2015 patches are already available via Windows Update. Since Windows is configured to download and install security patches automatically by default, they will be installed on all of those systems automatically at one point.

Update checks are not in real-time however and if you want to speed up the deployment, you can check for updates manually:

• Tap on the Windows-key on your computer keyboard, type Windows Update and hit the enter-key.
• This should open the Windows Update interface. Depending on your version of Windows, this may be in form of a the new Settings application or a program window.
• Select the "check for updates" option on the page and wait for the results.
• All available updates are listed on the page and it takes another click to download and install those on the device.

Other options to deploy the updates included downloading them individually from Microsoft's Download Center, by downloading monthly security images that Microsoft releases, or by using third-party software to do so.

Additional information

• Microsoft Security Response Center blog on the 2015 Bulletin Release
• Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for November 2015
• List of software updates for Microsoft products
• List of security advisories of 2015