Microsoft has published a PowerShell script to automate the update of the Windows 10 WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment) partition, in order to fix the vulnerability , which allowed BitLocker encryption to be bypassed.
See also: BitLocker: Microsoft warns of errors in its encryption
This security issue was fixed with security update KB5034441 released earlier this week during this month's Patch Tuesday.
The PowerShell script addresses a known issue that causes KB5034441 installation failures on Windows 10 systems, which remain vulnerable to the BitLocker bypass vulnerability that allows access to encrypted data.
When trying to apply the security update, users are reporting issues with errors 0x80070643: “There were some problems installing updates, but we'll try again later. If you keep seeing this and want to search online or contact support for information, it might help: (0x80070643).”
As Microsoft explains, this happens because instead of displaying a CBS_E_INSUFFICIENT_DISK_SPACE when the WinRE is not large enough, Windows Update incorrectly displays the generic error message “0x80070643 – ERROR_INSTALL_FAILURE” instead.
This occurs because the WinRE image file (winre.wim) that is deployed when installing the KB5034441 security update is too large for the recovery partition. To address the issue, Microsoft recommends that users create a larger WinRE partition so that there is enough space to install KB5034441.
See also: Update KB5031445: What problems does it solve in Windows 10
Although you can do it manually using detailed and fairly complicated instructions, the company now provides a special PowerShell to help you automate the update of the WinRE partition (without the need to resize it first) and patch the BitLocker vulnerability CVE-2024-20666.
When you run the script on your system, it mounts the WinRE image, applies a Safe OS Dynamic update that is specific to your system architecture that you must download from the Windows Update before running the script, unmounts the image, and then reconfigures WinRE for the BitLocker service if the BitLocker TPM is present.
Update management company Action1 has also released scripts that automate the resizing of the WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment) partition if you prefer that approach.
If you choose to manually resize the WinRE partition or use the Action1 scripts, it is highly recommended to back up your data, as there is always a risk of damaging system partitions when making changes.
See also: Spain: Phishing emails distribute LockBit Locker ransomware
BitLocker is a disk encryption tool provided by Microsoft. Its primary function is to protect user data from unauthorized access or theft. BitLocker encrypts the entire disk, making the data readable only when the correct encryption key or password is provided.
Additionally, BitLocker can be enabled at the system level, providing protection against booting from external media or accessing the system from operating systems that do not support BitLocker. Finally, BitLocker offers the ability to recover data in the event that the user loses the encryption key or password, through a unique recovery key that is generated when BitLocker is enabled.
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Source: bleepingcomputer
