2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws

Let’s discuss the 2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch and 8 Zero-Day Vulnerability. The KB5049981 update has been released for Windows 10, offering enhancements in performance and security to boost the system’s overall efficiency.

The January update introduces exciting new features to the Dynamic Lighting Settings page. First, when no compatible device is connected to your computer, the page will display a placeholder message, ensuring clarity for users. The Brightness and Effects controls will automatically be turned off in such scenarios.

Second, this update enhances the customisation options for lighting effects. The Wave effect now includes four new direction options: Forward, Backward, Outward, and Inward, allowing for greater creativity and flexibility. Moreover, the Gradient effect gains a new Forward direction option, expanding its capabilities.

The January update fixes several problems in different tools. For DISM, the StartComponentCleanup task now works as it should. It no longer gets stuck at 71% or shows error 6842. The January update fixes issues in PowerShell. The Get-WindowsCapability command is now more reliable and doesn’t require restarting your PC if it fails.

Patch My PC

Microsoft’s January 2025 Patch Tuesday brings security updates for 159 vulnerabilities, including 8 zero-day flaws, 3 of which have been actively exploited in attacks. The update also addresses 12 “Critical” issues, such as information disclosure, privilege escalation, and remote code execution vulnerabilities.

2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patches 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws - Fig.1
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patches 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Fig.1

Zero Day Security Vulnerability for January 2025

In January 2025, Microsoft fixed 8 serious zero-day vulnerabilities, including CVE-2025-21395, a remote code execution issue in Microsoft Access. The details are shared below through a table, and screenshot.

  • 40 Elevation of Privilege Vulnerabilities
  • 20 Denial of Service Vulnerabilities
  • 5 Spoofing Vulnerabilities
  • 58 Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities
  • 14 Security Feature Bypass Vulnerabilities
  • 24 Information Disclosure Vulnerabilities
Release DateCVE NumberCVE TitlePublicly disclosedExploitability assessmentExploited
14th Jan 2024CVE-2025-21395Microsoft Access Remote Code Execution VulnerabilityYesExploitation Less LikelyNo
14th Jan 2024CVE-2025-21366Microsoft Access Remote Code Execution VulnerabilityYesExploitation Less LikelyNo
14th Jan 2024CVE-2025-21308Windows Themes Spoofing VulnerabilityYesExploitation Less LikelyNo
14th Jan 2024CVE-2025-21275Windows App Package Installer Elevation of Privilege VulnerabilityYesExploitation Less LikelyNo
14th Jan 2024CVE-2025-21186Microsoft Access Remote Code Execution VulnerabilityYesExploitation Less LikelyNo
14th Jan 2024CVE-2025-21335Windows Hyper-V NT Kernel Integration VSP Elevation of Privilege VulnerabilityNoExploitation DetectedYes
14th Jan 2024CVE-2025-21334Windows Hyper-V NT Kernel Integration VSP Elevation of Privilege VulnerabilityNoExploitation DetectedYes
14th Jan 2024CVE-2025-21333Windows Hyper-V NT Kernel Integration VSP Elevation of Privilege VulnerabilityNoExploitation DetectedYes
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Table 1
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws - Fig.2
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Fig.2

2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patches

A new feature for touchscreen edge gestures has been introduced in this update. You can now manage these settings by going to Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touch. In this section, you have the option to disable the touch gestures for the left or right edge of the screen, based on your preference.

Windows 11 24H2Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2
KB5050009KB5050021
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patches 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Table 2
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws - Fig.3
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Fig.3

Updated Version of Windows 11 after Installing KB5050009 KB5050021 January 2025 Patch

Windows has improved its speech features with this update. The speech-to-text and text-to-speech tools now work better. If needed, you might see a message asking you to update your language files manually. You can download these files from the Microsoft Store. This update benefits users of tools like Narrator, voice access, live captions, live translations, and voice typing.

2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws - Fig.4
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Fig.4

Windows 11 New Improvements and Features

Let’s discuss the new improvements and features of january patch 2025. The below table helps you to show more details.

New ImprovementsDetails
IME Toolbar Hiding in Full-Screen ModeAfter installing this update, the IME toolbar will automatically hide when apps are in full-screen mode. This behavior occurs only when the IME toolbar is active and you’re typing in Chinese or Japanese characters.
Start Menu Update: Jump Lists for Pinned AppsA new feature has been added to the Start menu. When you right-click on apps pinned to the Start menu, jump lists will appear for apps that support this feature, providing quick access to recent or common tasks.
File Explorer New FeatureYou can now share content to an Android device from the context menu in File Explorer and on the desktop.
Touchscreen New FeatureA new section for touchscreen edge gestures has been added.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touch to enable or disable the left or right screen edge touch gesture.
Mouse update New FeatureOption to turn off enhanced mouse pointer precision added under Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Mouse.
New option to change the direction of mouse scrolling.
Dynamic Lighting Settings update New FeaturesThe Dynamic Lighting Settings page will show a placeholder message when no compatible device is attached.
Brightness and Effects controls will be off when no device is connected.
Dynamic Lighting Settings – Wave Effect UpdateNew direction options for the Wave effect: Forward, Backward, Outward, and Inward.
Dynamic Lighting Settings – Gradient Effect UpdateThe Gradient effect now includes the Forward direction option.
New Jump lists FeatureHold Shift and CTRL and click a jump list item to open it as an administrator.
IFilters UpdateWindows Search now runs IFilters in Less Privileged App Containers (LPAC).
LPACs restrict access to only necessary resources, preventing access to sensitive system components and reducing potential damage from a compromised process.
Task Manager UpdatesDisconnect and Logoff dialogs now support dark mode and text scaling.
Performance section now displays the type for each disk.
Narrator New FeaturesSkip Past Links (N): New feature in scan mode allowing you to skip to the text after a link, helpful for reading long emails, news articles, and wiki pages.Jump to Lists (L): New feature in scan mode that allows you to quickly access a list on a web page or in a document.To use these features, turn on Narrator first (Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter) and activate scan mode by pressing Caps lock + Spacebar. Scan mode is enabled by default on most web pages.
Touchscreen UpdateEdge Gestures: A new section for touchscreen edge gestures has been added.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Touch to choose whether to turn off the left or right screen edge touch gesture.
Speech in Windows UpdateImproved Speech Features: Enhancements have been made to the speech-to-text and text-to-speech features.
Users might receive a message prompting them to update their language files manually via the Microsoft Store.
This update affects Narrator, voice access, live captions, live translations, and voice typing.
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Table 3
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws - Fig.5
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Fig.5

Issues Fixed with Windows 11 January Patch 2025

The update fixes two problems, Exporting charts: Apps no longer freeze when exporting charts to PDF or XLSX formats. Motherboard replacement: Windows now activates correctly after you replace the motherboard.

Issues Fixed with Windows 11 January
Patches
Description
Motherboard Replacement FixFixed issue where Windows does not activate after a motherboard replacement.
COSA Update FixUpdates profiles for certain mobile operators.
IPP Printer FixFixed issue where Windows stops responding when using an IPP USB printer.
Display FixesApp Windows: Fixed issue where app windows might collect in the corner of a monitor after the device goes to sleep when using multiple monitors.Mica Material: Fixed issue where Mica material might not display correctly when using a slideshow background.Secondary Displays: Fixed issue where some secondary displays experience lag and screen tearing when a window is in full screen.
Mouse FixPointer Location: Fixed issue where the pointer location circle might appear tiny on some displays when using the “Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key” option.
Clipboard FixClipboard History: Fixed issue where clipboard history (Windows logo key + V) might show no content, even when it is enabled and text/images have been copied.
DISMThe StartComponentCleanup task now works properly. Previously, it stopped at 71% and showed error 6842.
PowerShellFixed an issue where the Get-WindowsCapability command sometimes failed, requiring a restart of the PC.
Windows UpdateFixed an issue where installing updates would result in error 0x800f0905.
JPG FilesFixed an issue where you could not use an API to find rotation information for JPG files.
HTML Applications (HTA)HTA optional components (OC) are now available in ARM64 Windows PE.
Task ManagerFixed an issue where the Users page might cause Task Manager to stop responding when using the keyboard.
Graphics Device Interface Plus (GDI+)Fixed an issue where you cannot get the properties of image files using GDI+.
Fixed an issue where scaling is wrong when re-encoding images in GDI+.
RAW Format ImagesFixed an issue where RAW format images showed in the wrong orientation.
Exporting Chart ObjectsFixed an issue where an app stops responding when exporting chart objects in PDF and XLSX formats.
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)Fixed an issue where WSL stops working and will not start up.
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Table 4
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws - Fig.6
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patchs 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Fig.6

Known Issues from January Windows 11 Patch 2025

Some Chinese tax filing or government-use applications might have problems after the January 2025 Windows 11 update. Installing the latest versions of these applications may fix the issue. Microsoft is aware of the situation and is working on a solution, with more updates expected in the future.

SummaryOriginating UpdateStatus
Chinese tax filing or government-use applications might experience issuesN/AInstalling the latest versions of affected applications may remove the compatibility hold, and as new updates are released, the issue is expected to be resolved. Microsoft is working on a resolution and will provide further updates when available.
Disk Cleanup might incorrectly report space available for cleanupN/AWindows updates released on October 24, 2024 (KB5044384) improve the accuracy of the free space estimate in the Windows Disk Cleanup tool, with further improvements expected in a future update. Microsoft is working on this update and will provide more details when available.
Some ASUS devices might fail to install Windows 11, version 24H2N/AASUS and Microsoft are working on a resolution and will provide more information when available.
Safe Exam Browser application might fail to openN/Aworking on a resolution
Some devices using Easy Anti-Cheat stop responding and receive a blue screenN/AResolution: Updating your games may resolve the issue if a compatible version of Easy Anti-Cheat is included in the update.
Wallpaper customization applications might not work as expectedN/AResolution: Installing the latest versions of wallpaper customization applications may remove the compatibility hold, with future updates expected to resolve the issue.
Asphalt 8 might periodically stop respondingN/AWorking on a resolution
August 2024 security update might impact Linux boot in dual-boot setup devicesOS Build 22621.4037
KB5041585
2024-08-13
Working on a resolution
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Table 5

You can download the January 2025 Windows 11 updates from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Type the KB number in the search bar and click “Search.” Alternatively, you can use the keyword “2025-01” to find all the updates released in January 2025.

Cumulative Update for Windows 11ProductsSizeDirect Download
2025-10 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 24H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5050009)Windows 11 24H2
1016.6 MB
Download
2025-10 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 for x64-based Systems (KB5050021)Windows 11 23H2
785.0 MB
Download
2025-10 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5050021)Windows 11 22H2
785.0 MB
Download
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Table 6
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws - Fig.7
2025 January KB5050009 KB5050021 Windows 11 Patch 8 Zero-Day Vulnerabilies and 159 Flaws – Fig.7

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Resources

January 14, 2025—KB5050009 (OS Build 26100.2894) – Microsoft Support

Author

Anoop C Nair has been Microsoft MVP from 2015 onwards for 10 consecutive years! He is a Workplace Solution Architect with more than 22+ years of experience in Workplace technologies. He is also a Blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group Community leader. His primary focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM and Intune. He writes about technologies like Intune, SCCM, Windows, Cloud PC, Windows, Entra, Microsoft Security, Career, etc.

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