cyber.hendryadrian.com
Security News · bleepingcomputer.com

Microsoft Says October Updates Did Not Fix Windows Always On VPN Issue

· Original article ↗

Summary

Microsoft says October 2026 Windows 11 updates did not fix an Always On VPN issue triggered by September updates. A permanent fix is planned; administrators can temporarily select SSTP or IKEv2 instead of automatic protocol selection.

Key points

  • The issue affects Windows 11 24H2 and later after installing September 2026 security updates, when an initial Always On VPN connection attempt fails.
  • Affected connections using automatic protocol selection or fallback may remain stuck on “Connecting,” fail to connect, or show “The specified port is already in use.”
  • Microsoft mistakenly marked the issue resolved on October 13, 2026, then returned its status to Mitigated.
  • A permanent fix is planned for an update in the coming weeks, according to Microsoft.
  • As a temporary workaround, IT administrators can configure the VPN profile to use SSTP only or IKEv2 only, based on their environment and requirements.

Article Details

Event Type
Microsoft acknowledged that it mistakenly marked the Always On VPN connection issue as resolved in the October 2026 Windows 11 cumulative updates; the issue remains mitigated, with a permanent fix planned for a future update.
Impact
Affected Windows 11 24H2 and later systems may have Always On VPN connections remain stuck in a Connecting state or fail after an initial connection attempt fails; subsequent attempts may report that the specified port is already in use. Microsoft’s temporary workaround is to configure the VPN profile to use either SSTP only or IKEv2 only instead of automatic protocol selection.

People

Sergiu GatlanAuthor of the article.

Vendors

MicrosoftMicrosoft says October updates didn’t actually fix VPN issues

Products

Always On VPNMicrosoft says it mistakenly flagged a bug causing Always On VPN connection issues as fixed in the October 2026 Windows 11 cumulative updates.DirectAccessAlways On VPN replaced the legacy DirectAccess technology and supports domain-joined, non-domain-joined, and Microsoft Entra ID–joined devices running Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server.Windows 11Microsoft says it mistakenly flagged a bug causing Always On VPN connection issues as fixed in the October 2026 Windows 11 cumulative updates.Windows ServerAlways On VPN replaced the legacy DirectAccess technology and supports domain-joined, non-domain-joined, and Microsoft Entra ID–joined devices running Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server.

Related Articles