Don’t wait to install the June Windows update — it fixes a major security bug

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

There is a Windows vulnerability that is being exploited. You should update your computer as soon as possible if you own a system that uses Windows 7.

The security flaw, called Follina, allows bad actors to hijack computers through programs. Microsoft dismissed the initial findings of security researchers who had been aware of the threat.

The Chinese government's hackers sent Word documents to Tibetans, according to a Proofpoint report. These documents use the Follina exploit to take control of the Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool to execute commands that could be used to install programs, create new user accounts, and access, deletion, or change data on a computer. The exploit has been used in sleaze campaigns.

This update should remove the need for the original warning to be used. Microsoft recommends that customers install the updates to be fully protected. Customers who have their systems configured to receive automatic updates don't need to do anything.