Update your Windows PC to avoid a serious Wi-Fi vulnerability

If you’ve been putting off your next Windows update, now’s the time to install it. Last week, Microsoft patched a pretty nasty vulnerability in Windows 11 and 10 that could put your PC at risk when connected to a public Wi-Fi network, as spotted earlier by The Register.

The vulnerability (CVE-2024-30078) could let hackers deploy a malicious packet to devices connected to the same Wi-Fi networks in places like airports, coffee shops, hotels, or even workplaces. From there, hackers can remotely run commands and gain access to a system — all without any user interaction or authentication. Microsoft rolled out a security update for the affected versions of Windows on June 11th.

Microsoft has labeled the vulnerability as “important,” which is the company’s second-highest severity rating for security vulnerabilities. Even if you don’t plan on taking your laptop to the coffee shop with you anytime soon, you shouldn’t delay this patch.