Microsoft's SUS Bug Makes Admins Go Manual

Microsoft has run into another problem with its updates, this time a bug in its aging Software Update Services (SUS) server software that turned previously-approved updates into "unapproved."

"For the SUS 1.0 Admins, you may be experiencing some problems with all your previously approved updates are now showing up as 'unapproved,' said Craig Gehre in an entry on the Microsoft Security Response Center blog.

SUS servers synchronized after Dec. 12 encounter a corrupt catalog file that reverts all approved updates to unapproved status, which requires a manual re-approval of all earlier updates.

On Wednesday, Microsoft posted a document on its Knowledge Base support database that spells out the problem and offers up work-arounds.

"We are also hoping to make it a bit easier to fix by releasing a simple script soon," added Gehre.The bug doesn't impact the update status of SUS clients, or the ability to roll out Tuesday's patches using SUS 1.0, added Microsoft.

Microsoft customers have experienced several patching snafus in the last few months, including October incidents when two fixes had to be revised and reissued.