Title

Windows 10 systems must be maintained at a supported servicing level. (Cat I impact)

Discussion

Windows 10 is maintained by Microsoft at servicing levels for specific periods of time to support Windows as a Service. Systems at unsupported servicing levels or releases will not receive security updates for new vulnerabilities, which leaves them subject to exploitation. New versions with feature updates are planned to be released on a semiannual basis with an estimated support timeframe of 18 to 30 months depending on the release. Support for previously released versions has been extended for Enterprise editions. A separate servicing branch intended for special-purpose systems is the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC, formerly Branch - LTSB), which will receive security updates for 10 years but excludes feature updates.

Check Content

Run "winver.exe". If the "About Windows" dialog box does not display the following or greater, this is a finding: "Microsoft Windows Version 20H2 (OS Build 190xx.x)" Note: Microsoft has extended support for previous versions, providing critical and important updates for Windows 10 Enterprise. Microsoft scheduled end-of-support dates for current Semi-Annual Channel versions: v20H2 - 9 May 2023 v21H1 - 13 Dec 2022 v21H2 - 11 June 2024 No preview versions will be used in a production environment. Special-purpose systems using the Long-Term Servicing Branch\Channel (LTSC\B) may be at the following versions, which is not a finding: v1507 (Build 10240) v1607 (Build 14393) v1809 (Build 17763) v21H2 (Build 19044)

Fix Text

Update systems on the Semi-Annual Channel to "Microsoft Windows Version 20H2 (OS Build 190xx.x)" or greater. It is recommended systems be upgraded to the most recently released version. Special-purpose systems using the LTSC\B may be at the following versions: v1507 (Build 10240) v1607 (Build 14393) v1809 (Build 17763) v21H2 (Build 19044)

Additional Identifiers

Rule ID: SV-220706r857183_rule

Vulnerability ID: V-220706

Group Title: SRG-OS-000480-GPOS-00227

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