Microsoft admits that Always On VPN problems were not fixed in the October Security Update
Microsoft has been forced to admit that the Always On VPN glitch - which it said it had fixed in an update on October 13 - was not actually fixed after all.
We've all been there. You fix that bug, or tweak the configuration setting, and you're pleased with yourself, but it turns out it didn't take, and you have to send the "er, about that fix" follow-up email of shame.
The same has happened to Microsoft. After proudly declaring the problem resolved as part of its last security update, the company had to roll back its triumphant trumpeting to a sad little parp from a clown's horn in the message WI1482218:
"This disclosure was mistakenly updated to Resolved status on October 13, 2026. We have returned its status to Mitigated.
"We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion."
The bug in question concerns the operating system's Always On VPN functionality, a useful bit of code that quietly opens a VPN connection in the background without tiresome prompts for authentication. It dates back to Windows 10, and Microsoft alerted administrators to problems after the September 2026 Windows security update inadvertently broke it.
The issue affects Windows 11 versions from 24H2 through 26H2.
The problem could occur when the VPN was set to try a different connection method if the initial connection failed (Microsoft gave the example of using automatic protocol selection with IKEv2 and SSTP).
According to Microsoft: "Affected VPN connections might remain in a 'Connecting' state or repeatedly attempt to connect without succeeding. Subsequent connection attempts might also display the error: 'The specified port is already in use'."
This is not ideal for administrators. The workaround Microsoft highlighted back on October 13 was to change from automatic protocol selection to a single protocol, which would at least get affected users up and running.
The workaround remains the same. The bad news is that, because last week's fix did not work, affected administrators will need to apply the workaround for a bit longer.
Microsoft claimed, "A resolution for this issue is planned to be included in an update to be released in the coming weeks." (R)