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Microsoft\u2019s latest monthly security update is wreaking havoc on dual-boot Windows and Linux systems. The software giant issued a security patch last week to fix a two-year-old vulnerability in the GRUB open-source boot loader used by lots of Linux devices. Microsoft\u2019s patch wasn\u2019t supposed to hit dual-boot devices, but many have found it has and it\u2019s now stopping their Linux installs from booting properly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Ars Technica <\/em>reports<\/a> that multiple Linux dual-boot users are seeing \u201csecurity policy violation\u201d messages, along with \u201csomething has gone seriously wrong\u201d errors. There are reports of issues across Reddit<\/a>, Ubuntu forums<\/a>, and elsewhere<\/a>. Distributions including Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, Zorin OS, and Puppy Linux have all been affected by Microsoft\u2019s patch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The update was supposed to fix a vulnerability that allowed hackers to bypass Secure Boot, a technology that\u2019s widely used by Windows and Linux distributions to ensure malicious firmware isn\u2019t loaded onto devices during boot. Microsoft said earlier this month<\/a> it would apply \u201ca Secure Boot Advanced Targeting (SBAT) update to block vulnerable Linux boot loaders that could have an impact on Windows security,\u201d but that the update would not be applied to dual-boot systems with both Windows and Linux so it \u201cshould not affect these systems.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Microsoft hasn\u2019t commented on the issues its update has caused, but there is a workaround<\/a> for Ubuntu users that involves disabling Secure Boot at the BIOS level and then logging into a Ubuntu user account and opening a terminal to delete Microsoft\u2019s SBAT policy. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Microsoft has been using Secure Boot in Windows for years, and made it a key\u00a0requirement for Windows 11<\/a> to use the technology to secure against BIOS rootkits. Researchers have found plenty of vulnerabilities in Secure Boot over the years, and recently it was discovered that Secure Boot is completely broken on many PCs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n