Patch Tuesday December 2024: Santa’s elves bring security updates for all the good businesses. Patch now and stop the hacker grinches.
Patch Tuesday December 2024
Hackers aren’t taking a vacation. Be sure to update your devices this month. If you’re not sure what you should be patching or why, read Patch Primer for Small Business.

Chrome Chestnuts
Lest hackers roast you, Chrome and Chromium clones (think Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi) all received updates two weeks in row.
Please close and reopen your browsers to install the security updates.
Microsoft Mulled
Microsoft generously gave 72 patches to folks this Christmas. Hackers already exploit at least one of the security holes patch on December 10th. More details on Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday December 2024 here.
Microsoft just keeps giving this month. Microsoft has been rolling Windows 11 version 24H2 to computers. This is a gift you might want to save until the new year or just return. Known issues with Windows 11 version 24H2: breaks computers with certain scanner software, blue screens Asus computers, loads the unwanted CoPilot AI, and just as folks want to relax and play computer games, this version breaks gaming computers. More details on Windows 11 version 24H2 rollout here.
As always make sure your backups are current before installing any Microsoft updates.
Adobe Aglittering
Adobe aglittered and littered security updates for most of the products on December 10th.
Most important Adobe patched several security holes in Adobe Acrobat and Reader.
Adobe also patched the usual suspects in the Creative group: Photoshop, Animate, Illustrator and InDesign to name a few. Details on all the Adobe security updates this month here.
Go to Help in your Adobe product and check for Updates.

WordPress Wassailing
Running the latest version of WordPress? Version 6.7.1? Great. Did you update your plugins? Plugins provide hackers the most opportunities to make merry with your web site.
Abiding Apple
Apple did not release any updates this month so far. The last few years Apple chose to release updates around the 19th of December. Watch for security goodies for all your iThingys around the 19th.