The December Patch Tuesday replace from Microsoft addresses three zero-days (CVE-2025-64671, CVE-2025-54100, and CVE-2025-62221) however consists of surprisingly few whole patches (simply 57). In addition to an unusually low variety of updates, Microsoft has not printed any essential updates for the Home windows platform this month. That stated, given the zero-days, we advocate a “Patch Now” launch schedule for Home windows and Microsoft Workplace. There are not any updates for the developer instruments this month and a minor patch for Microsoft Alternate Server.
To assist navigate these modifications, the crew from Readiness has supplied a useful infographic detailing the dangers of deploying updates to every platform. (Details about different latest Patch Tuesday releases is offered right here.)
Identified points
Microsoft has printed an extended than common checklist of identified points for December. Specializing in the actionable points affecting later variations (non-ESU), we consider the next deserve consideration from enterprise engineers:
- After putting in KB5070892 or later updates, Home windows Server Replace Companies (WSUS) doesn’t show synchronization error particulars inside its error reporting. This performance is quickly eliminated to handle the Distant Code Execution Vulnerability, CVE-2025-59287.
- A really small variety of customers might discover that the password icon for the Home windows login display is just not seen. This has been a problem because the August 2025 replace. Microsoft has printed a Identified Problem Rollback (KIR) to handle Professional and House customers. Enterprise deployments ought to use an up to date group coverage to reset the icon picture.
Microsoft had launched an out-of-band replace (KB5070881) for Home windows Server 2025, which was briefly supplied to all Home windows Server 2025 machines, no matter Hotpatch enrollment.
Machines that put in KB5070881 will quickly cease receiving Hotpatch updates and can as an alternative obtain safety updates that require a restart. This difficulty is predicted to be resolved within the subsequent baseline launch in January 2026.
Main revisions and mitigations
There have been a number of updates and revisions to earlier Microsoft patches this December. Most of them relate to Chromium updates (see the Browser part beneath). Nonetheless, these two revisions might require additional studying and remedial motion:
- CVE-2024-30098: Home windows Cryptographic Companies Safety Characteristic Bypass Vulnerability. Although this replace revision is referenced as a documentation replace by Microsoft, a earlier launch incorrectly recognized the managed key supplier. This might have led to smart-card authentication failures. If in case you have skilled this type of difficulty since October, Microsoft has printed a information notice (KB5073121) on easy methods to detect and resolve these sorts of points.
- CVE-2025-60710: Host Course of for Home windows Duties Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. This patch revision impacts all supported variations of Home windows. Earlier than you replace, Microsoft suggests that you simply disable the Recall function. Solely allow this function upon getting patched your system with this newest replace.
Home windows lifecycle and enforcement updates
Microsoft Safe Boot certificates utilized by most Home windows units are set to expire, beginning in June 2026. This would possibly have an effect on the flexibility of sure private and enterprise units besides securely if not up to date in time. There may be loads of time — you’ve got been warned.
Every month, the crew at Readiness analyzes the newest Patch Tuesday updates from Microsoft and supplies detailed, actionable testing steering. This steering relies on assessing a big utility portfolio and a complete evaluation of the Microsoft patches and their potential affect on Home windows platforms and utility deployments.
For this December 2025 launch cycle from Microsoft, we now have grouped the essential updates and required testing efforts into totally different useful areas.
Cloud recordsdata and sync suppliers
Organizations utilizing OneDrive, SharePoint sync, or third-party cloud storage suppliers ought to validate sync-root connectivity and file hydration workflows. Testing ought to cowl sync-root connection and disconnection situations, together with hydration/dehydration, shopper restarts, shopper upgrades, surprising shopper crashes, account unlink/relink flows, and multi-user situations.
Home windows Sandbox and virtualization
The kernel and storage virtualization elements acquired updates affecting Home windows Sandbox performance. Organizations utilizing Sandbox for utility testing or remoted looking ought to set up and allow Home windows Sandbox, configure folder mappings through configuration recordsdata, and validate that mapped folders are accessible, with primary file operations (create, modify, delete) functioning appropriately.
Begin Menu Consumer Tiles
The Begin Menu’s Consumer Tiles UI acquired updates this month. Testing ought to validate UI rendering (right show, alignment, profile photographs), performance (click on actions, hover states, keyboard navigation), dynamic updates (profile modifications reflecting instantly), error dealing with (lacking or corrupted profile knowledge), and efficiency (no lag or crashes throughout consumer switching).
December 2025’s launch is stability-focused with no high-risk elements. Testing effort ought to heart on cloud file synchronization workflows for OneDrive/SharePoint customers, Home windows Sandbox folder mapping for virtualization environments, and Begin Menu Consumer Tiles for organizations with multi-user workstations. This lighter launch supplies a chance to finish patching earlier than year-end company change freezes.
Updates by product household
Every month, we break down the replace cycle into product households (as outlined by Microsoft) with the next primary groupings:
- Browsers (Microsoft Edge)
- Microsoft Home windows (each desktop and server)
- Microsoft Workplace
- Microsoft Alternate and SQL Server
- Microsoft Developer Instruments (Visible Studio and .NET)
- Adobe (in the event you get this far)
Browsers
Microsoft has launched a single replace to Microsoft Edge (CVE-2025-62223) and an extra 13 Chromium-based updates with this December launch. One of many “attention-grabbing” issues this month is that Microsoft has launched a patch for Microsoft Edge on the Apple Mac platform. We might have to begin together with Mac in our testing regime if Microsoft retains this up. Please add these low-profile browser modifications to your normal launch calendar.
Microsoft Home windows
We should always begin this part with an essential announcement: There are not any critical-rated patches for Home windows this December. That is an unbelievable achievement for Microsoft.
The next product areas have been up to date with 38 patches rated essential for this December 2025 patch cycle:
- Home windows Cloud Recordsdata Mini Filter, VSP, Brokering and Home windows Resilient File System (ReFS)
- Win32k, DWM and DirectX Graphics Kernel
- Home windows Widespread Log File System
- Home windows Distant Entry Connection Supervisor
- Home windows Routing and Distant Entry Service (RRAS)
- Home windows Installer and PowerShell
- Microsoft Hyper-V
- Home windows Shell and Digicam codecs
Sadly, we now have three zero-days by way of reported exploitation and public disclosure (CVE-2025-64671, CVE-2025-54100, and CVE-2025-62221) that have an effect on GitHub, PowerShell, and the Home windows mini-driver, respectively. Add these updates to your Home windows “Patch Now” launch schedule (sure, regardless that these should not rated as essential by Microsoft).
Microsoft Workplace
The true focus of this month’s testing ought to be on Microsoft Workplace with Microsoft releasing 4 critical-rated updates and an extra 12 patches to the Microsoft Workplace productiveness suite. This month’s essential updates have an effect on Microsoft Phrase, Excel, and SharePoint with distant code execution vulnerabilities. Add these Microsoft Workplace updates to your “Patch Now” schedule.
Microsoft Alternate and SQL Server
Microsoft has launched two updates (CVE-2025-64667 and CVE-2025-64666) to Alternate Server this month, each rated as essential by Microsoft and requiring a server reboot.
Add these updates to your normal server replace schedule.
Developer instruments
Microsoft has not printed any updates to the .NET or Visible Studio platforms this month. Benefit from the respite.
Adobe (and third-party updates)
It’s again! Adobe Reader has returned to type this month (APSB25-119) with a collection of essential updates to the PDF generator of selection. We now have been watching latest, fast updates to Reader this month, hoping that we don’t have any extra earlier than the generally adopted enterprise change management lock-down subsequent Friday.
The Readiness crew hopes that subsequent week is just not too rushed with last-minute modifications and that everybody will get a much-deserved break over the vacation interval.
