: Critical for system-level security and user login protocols. Windows Media & Storage
If you are part of the stubborn minority still running Windows 7 in 2023, treat this update with respect. It is the digital equivalent of installing a steel door on a house with a crumbling foundation. It won't save you forever, but it will keep the immediate dangers out.
Yes, it introduced the frustrating gray screen. Yes, it required a hotfix. But for the security vulnerabilities it closed—especially the crypto-spoofing and kernel memory leaks—the September 2019 rollup remains a mandatory installation for any surviving Windows 7 machine. windows 7 microsoft 2019-09 security update
Install KB4474419 . This allows the system to "read" modern updates.
Install KB4490628 first to prepare the update engine. : Critical for system-level security and user login
As of 2023, Windows 7 is no longer supported. However, if you find an old machine still running Windows 7 that needs the September 2019 patches:
Fixes for CVE-2019-1214 and CVE-2019-1215 , two "privilege escalation" flaws that were already being actively exploited by hackers in the wild before the patch was released. It won't save you forever, but it will
Attackers could spoof code-signing certificates, making malware appear as legitimate software signed by a trusted vendor. The September update enforced stricter Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) validation, closing a loophole used by several advanced persistent threat (APT) groups.
: Fixed vulnerabilities in how the OS handled media files and file systems. Microsoft JET Database Engine
Officially designated as the , this update was a cumulative package. Unlike the "Security Only" update, the monthly rollup included all previous monthly improvements plus new fixes for September.
In September 2019, Microsoft released a critical set of security updates for Windows 7, just months before the operating system reached its official end of support in January 2020