Patch Tuesday: Microsoft Makes a Fix It Available to Repair Cisco AnyConnect

This month, Microsoft released a cumulative security update for Internet Explorer, but in doing so broke a popular VPN connection application from Cisco. I reported the issue last week after having issues with Cisco AnyConnect myself while trying to connect to the mother ship to do my expense statement. In that report, I also included a workaround. Check it out here: Patch Tuesday: KB3023607 Breaks Cisco AnyConnect, Here's a Fix

Since that report, Microsoft has developed a Fix It solution as a temporary repair. My fix is great for one-offs and for end-users who are comfortable mucking around in the operating system. The Fix It solution, on the other hand, is a better solution for those tasked with deploying the fix to a multitude of PCs.

The Fix It solution is available at the bottom of KB article 3023607: Secure Channel cumulative update changes TLS protocol renegotiation and fallback behavior

It's important to note, though, that the Fix It may not work in some cases, so you might have to resort to my original workaround. In most instances where it doesn't work, users were running an earlier version of Cisco AnyConnect. Upgrading to a more current version should allow the Fix It to work properly.

Ever since the problem was reported, Cisco has been working with Microsoft for a final resolution. A permanent fix is reported to release during March's Patch Tuesday (March 10) over Windows Update. Of course, this is just a preliminary schedule. Microsoft can, and sometimes does, change delivery schedules based on a number of factors.