Microsoft Update Testing

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It is important to apply Microsoft Windows updates to keep systems secure. Occasionally there will be incompatibility issues noted here. Please check back regularly for updates.

Introduction

Microsoft provides the Windows Update Service that securely distributes updates and bug fixes in the form of patches. Microsoft schedules the release of patches via Windows Update.

To provide customers the confidence that they can install Microsoft patches without adversely affecting existing installations of Geo SCADA Expert, a set of regression tests are run on currently supported Geo SCADA Expert versions and their supported server and workstation Microsoft Windows Operating System versions. These regression tests are run on the newly-released Windows patches monthly, with the results published on this page for reference once they are released.

The results documentation is cumulative, meaning that the results from the current month's testing are added to the results of the previous month, and so forth. As a result it is only necessary to review the current month's results spreadsheet to get a comprehensive understanding of the testing performed in the current calendar year. Testing results are archived annually, with previous years' results available below for reference.

Any testing is performed using all the approved previous months of patches installed, except where a more recent patch supersedes that earlier patch.

Any out-of-band (unscheduled) patch released by Microsoft is not tested until the next scheduled patches are released, at which point the out-of-band patch will be tested alongside the scheduled patches.

Microsoft Windows Server, Workstation, .NET and Internet Explorer security and general updates are tested including default services such as Windows Defender, any other Microsoft products such as Microsoft Office are not included within the approval testing.

Third party patches such as those provided by SAP (Crystal Reports Editor), Oracle (Java) and Adobe (Reader) are not included within the testing.

Additional Items

IIS Web Server and Virtual ViewX Security

Virtual ViewX and the Reverse Proxy for WebX and Web Services are configured by a combination of settings in the Virtual ViewX area and Internet Information Server (IIS). The following items are recommended for all systems. 

• Disable Legacy TLS within the IIS Web Server
• Enable HSTS Within the IIS Web Server
• Customize the Virtual ViewX Web Headers
• Disable Autocomplete for the Login form
• Make cookies secure through IIS Rewrite

Refer to this Virtual ViewX page for further details.

Resolved (Newest First)

Incompatibility Warning	Added 15 Dec 2023, Updated 16 Dec 2023, Updated 18 Dec 2023, Updated 21 Dec 2023.
Operating Systems	Any using Windows Defender
Geo SCADA Versions	Geo SCADA releases made from December 2022 to September 2023 inclusive, including versions of 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Parts of Geo SCADA Affected	Microsoft Windows Defender quarantines various Geo SCADA client and server executable programs and DLLs
Specific Patches	Windows Defender Security intelligence update version 1.403.485 and higher. Released on Dec/15/2023 2:43:15 PM. See https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/definitions/antimalware-definition-release-notes?requestVersion...  Up to but not including: Windows Defender Security intelligence update version 1.403.810 and higher. Released on Dec/21/2023. Several prior versions (up to four days before) do not exhibit the issue. While Microsoft have received our software for their checks, we may not get a 'final' confirmation from them that they resolved the false positive.
Symptoms	Loss of Geo SCADA server and client functionality.
Mitigation	Microsoft have been informed of this issue. Requirement to add exclusions for Geo SCADA files and to reinstall Geo SCADA.
Resolved by	Resolved. Use Windows Defender definitions 1.403.870 (21 Dec 2023) onwards. Refer to this for advice: Geo SCADA KB Anti-malware-Configuration

 

Incompatibility Warning	Added 30 Jan 2023
Operating Systems	Windows Server 2022, 2019, 2016 and 2012 R2. Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Geo SCADA Versions	Geo SCADA 2022 Initial Release
Parts of Geo SCADA Affected	Installation of OPC UA Server Prerequisites
Specific Patches	Windows Server 2022: KB5020877 – December 13, 2022 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 (no January 2023 version available) Windows Server 2019: KB5020874 – December 13, 2022 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 (no January 2023 version available) Windows Server 2016: KB5020873 – December 13, 2022 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 (no January 2023 version available) Windows Server 2012 R2: KB5020878 – December 13, 2022 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 4.8 (no January 2023 version available) Windows 11: KB5020875 – December 13, 2022 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 Windows 11: KB5022407 – January 19, 2023 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, and 4.8 Windows 10: KB5020872 – December 13, 2022 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8 Windows 10: KB5022405 – January 19, 2023 Cumulative Update Preview for .NET Framework 3.5 and 4.8
Symptoms	Failure to install the Aveva PCS Prerequisites for OPC UA Server. There is no problem if these Prerequisites are not chosen.
Mitigation	Microsoft have recognised that their update has caused a problem. They have provided a workaround in the following link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/kb5022083-change-in-how-wpf-based-applications-render-xps-... We confirm that the Microsoft workaround resolves the issue until a future Microsoft update removes the need to use it. Without the workaround, if the OPC UA Server is required please install Geo SCADA 2022 before installing the above Windows updates (or future patch rollups containing this same update). AVEVA is also working to resolve this in the installer, which may be included in a Monthly Update to Geo SCADA 2022. Please check back here for updates.
Resolved by	Microsoft Updates for .Net Framework for February 2023

Incompatibility Warning	Added 3 Nov 2022, Updated 6 Jan 2023 and 30 Jan 2023
Operating Systems	Windows 10, 11, Server 2012 R2, Server 2016, Server 2019 and Server 2022
Geo SCADA Versions	Geo SCADA 2021
Parts of Geo SCADA Affected	ViewX Client
Specific Patches	2022-10 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.8 and 4.8.1 for Windows 10 Version 21H2 (KB5018545) 2022-10 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.8 and 4.8.1 for Windows 10 Version 21H1 (KB5018544) 2022-10 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.8 and 4.8.1 for Windows 11 (KB5018546) 2022-10 Security and Quality Rollup for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8 for Windows 8.1, RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB5018549) 2022-10 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1607 and Windows Server 2016 (KB5018515) 2022-10 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.7.2 and 4.8 for Windows 10, version 1809 and Windows Server 2019 (KB5018542) 2022-10 Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.8 and 4.8.1 for Microsoft server operating system version 21H2 (KB5018551)
Symptoms	If the user uses the 'Locate in Database' option from a list and then logs out of ViewX, ViewX will crash and a minidump will be generated. The Windows Update changes are known to affect applications using the Actipro tree list control, used by the ViewX database tree.
Mitigation	a) Do not install this update (or future patch rollups containing this same update) until either:   i) You have installed the Microsoft December 2022 rollup updates.   ii) You have installed the Geo SCADA update issued in December 2022. b) There is a workaround from Microsoft. Add this line to the file SE.SCADA.ViewX.exe.config file in Program Files (x86). (Place the line before the existing text </runtime>):   <AppContextSwitchOverrides value= "Switch.System.Windows.Controls.VirtualizingStackPanel.OptOutOfCollectionChangeFix=true"/>   </runtime>
Resolved by	Microsoft Updates for .Net Framework for February 2023

Incompatibility Warning	Added 27 June 2022, Updated 6 Jan 2023
Operating Systems	Windows Server 2019
Geo SCADA Versions	Geo SCADA 2019, 2020 and 2021, except 2022 and 2021 from December 2022
Parts of Geo SCADA Affected	Virtual ViewX Server
Specific Patches	2022-06 Cumulative Update for Windows Server 2019 for x64-based Systems (KB5014692)
Symptoms	Only one user will be permitted to log in to Virtual ViewX
Mitigation	Do not install this update (or future patch rollups containing this same update) until you have installed the December 2022 update of Geo SCADA 2021, or Geo SCADA 2022.
Resolved by	December 2022 update of Geo SCADA 2021, or Geo SCADA 2022

Please note - A potential issue with Geo SCADA WebX ActiveX and Windows Updates KB5033371 and
KB5033372. The symptom is that scroll bars in ActiveX WebX do not function. This was resolved by Microsoft in their updates the following month.

Latest Test Results (Excel Format)

The latest Patch Tests were carried out in December 2024 with the results available for download below.

It is anticipated that the results of the next round of Microsoft patch testing will be published here after January 28th 2024.

Schneider Electric recommends that this released patch information is used alongside a suitable patch management process, for example as documented in IEC-62443-2-3, which includes additional local testing using customer specific configuration prior to deployment to any production system.

Archived Test Results

Test results are archived annually. The previous results are available below. Generally use the latest file which rolls up previous months. Annual files are listed too. The December 2023 file includes test results from 2022, 2021 & 2020.

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