Microsoft’s latest security patches have created a nightmare scenario for IT administrators worldwide, with critical message queuing systems failing across enterprise environments.
The December 2025 updates are causing widespread operational failures that could cripple business-critical applications within hours of installation.
Disaster strikes enterprise infrastructure
Microsoft’s December Patch Tuesday, which provided security updates delivered through KB5071546, have fundamentally broken Message Queuing (MSMQ) functionality across multiple Windows versions, according to reports. The patches targeted OS Build 19045.6691, but inadvertently altered MSMQ’s security architecture, causing queue operation failures in production environments within days of deployment.
The scope of this crisis extends beyond simple compatibility issues. Systems running Windows 10 22H2, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2016 are experiencing complete MSMQ service breakdowns after installing the problematic updates. Enterprise applications that depend on reliable message queuing are now facing “insufficient resources” errors, despite having adequate system resources available.
Microsoft has officially acknowledged the widespread failures, confirming that security hardening measures introduced in the December patches have created permission conflicts that prevent normal queue operations from functioning properly. For organizations relying on MSMQ-dependent infrastructure, this represents an existential threat to business continuity.
Permission chaos exposes security paradox
The root cause stems from Microsoft’s decision to tighten NTFS permissions on the critical C:\Windows\System32\MSMQ\storage folder during the update process. Post-patch systems now require MSMQ users to have write access to this directory, which was previously restricted to administrators only. This fundamental change in the security model has created an impossible situation for non-administrator users trying to access message queuing services.
The symptoms are both varied and severe. Applications can no longer write messages to queues, and clustered MSMQ environments under load are experiencing complete service disruptions.
Most troubling is the inconsistent impact across different system configurations. Devices where users are logged in with full administrative privileges remain unaffected, while standard enterprise deployments with proper security protocols are experiencing complete failures, Microsoft’s advisory confirms. This creates a scenario where following security best practices actually increases vulnerability to the update-induced failures.
Administrators face impossible security choices
Microsoft is currently investigating the issue but has provided no timeline for a permanent fix, leaving administrators in an impossible position. The company’s current guidance recommends verifying folder permissions as a temporary mitigation or pausing MSMQ services in clustered environments until an official solution becomes available.
For organizations facing immediate operational impacts, rolling back the problematic updates remains the most reliable short-term solution. However, this approach introduces its own security risks by removing the patches’ intended security improvements. Administrators can manually uninstall KB5071546 and related updates, though some systems may require advanced tools like DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) for complete removal.
The implications extend far beyond individual system failures. Organizations running MSMQ-dependent infrastructure should exercise extreme caution before deploying KB5071546 in production environments, weekend analysis suggests. When security improvements become security disasters, enterprise administrators find themselves choosing between functionality and protection in mission-critical environments — a decision no IT professional should ever have to make.
In other news, Microsoft is trying a new way to stop users downloading Google Chrome.
