MS16-154: Security update for Adobe Flash Player: December 13, 2016

Security Central

You can manage the software and security updates that you have to deploy to the servers, desktops, and mobile systems in your organization. For more information, see the TechNet Update Management Center. The
Microsoft TechNet Security website provides more information about security in Microsoft products.

You can download security updates from the
Microsoft Update Catalog. The Microsoft Update Catalog provides a searchable catalog of content that is made available through Windows Update and Microsoft Update. This includes security updates, drivers, and service packs. For more information about the Microsoft Update Catalog, see the
Microsoft Update Catalog FAQ.

Detection and deployment guidance

Microsoft provides detection and deployment guidance for security updates. This guidance contains recommendations and information that can help IT professionals understand how to use various tools for detection and deployment of security updates. For more information, see
Microsoft Knowledge Base article 961747.

Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer

Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) lets administrators scan local and remote systems for missing security updates and common security misconfigurations. For more information, see
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.

Note Customers who use legacy software that is not supported by the latest release of MBSA, Microsoft Update, or Windows Server Update Services should see the "Legacy Product Support" section of Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer. Here, you can find information about how to create comprehensive security update detection by using legacy tools.

Windows Server Update Services

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) lets information technology administrators deploy the latest Microsoft product updates to computers that are running Windows. For more information about how to deploy security updates by using Windows Server Update Services, see the following Microsoft TechNet topic:

Systems Management Server

The following table provides the Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) detection and deployment summary for this security update.




Note Microsoft discontinued support for SMS 2.0 on April 12, 2011. For SMS 2003, Microsoft also discontinued support for the Security Update Inventory Tool (SUIT) on April 12, 2011. Customers are encouraged to upgrade to System Center Configuration Manager.

For SMS 2003, the SMS 2003 Inventory Tool for Microsoft Updates (ITMU) can be used by SMS to detect security updates that are supported by
Windows Server Update Services. For more information, see Systems Management Server 2003.

System Center Configuration Manager uses WSUS 3.0 to detect updates. For more information, see System Center.

For more detailed information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 910723: Summary list of monthly detection and deployment guidance articles.

Update Compatibility Evaluator and Application Compatibility Toolkit

Updates frequently write to the same files and registry settings that are required for your applications to run. This can trigger incompatibilities and increase the time that is required to deploy security updates. You can streamline the testing and validation of Windows updates against installed applications by using the Update Compatibility Evaluator components that are included in the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT).

The Application Compatibility Toolkit contains the necessary tools and documentation to evaluate and decrease application compatibility issues before you deploy Windows Vista, a Windows update, a Microsoft Security update, or a new version of Windows Internet Explorer in your environment.

Windows 8.1 (all editions)

Reference table

The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find more information in the "Deployment information" section.

Deployment information

Installing the update

When you install this security update, the installer checks whether one or more of the files that are being updated on your system have previously been updated by a Microsoft hotfix.

For more information about the terminology, such as "hotfix," that appears in this Knowledge Base article, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 824684.

This security update supports the following installation switches.




Note For more information about the Wusa.exe installer, see the "Windows Update Stand-alone Installer" section in the following TechNet topic:

Verifying that the update was applied

Because there are several editions of Windows, the following steps may be different on your system. If they are different, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

Verifying the file version

1. Click Start, and then type an update file name in the Search box.
2. When the file appears under Programs, right-click the file name, and then click Properties.
3. On the General tab, compare the file size to the size that is listed in the file information tables that are provided in this Knowledge Base article.
   
   Note Depending on the edition of the operating system or the programs that are installed on your system, some files that are listed in the file information table may not be installed.
4. You can also click the Details tab to compare such information as file version and date changed to the information that is listed in the file information tables that are provided in the Knowledge Base article.
   
   Note Attributes other than the file version may change during installation. Comparing other file attributes to the information in the file information table is not a supported method of verifying that the update was applied. Also, in certain cases, files are renamed during installation. If the file or version information does not exist, use one of the other available methods to verify update installation.
5. You can also click the Previous Versions tab to compare file information for the earlier version of the file to the file information for the new, or updated, version of the file.

Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 (all editions)

Reference table

The following table contains the security update information for this software. You can find more information in the "Deployment information" subsection in this section.

Deployment information

Installing the update

When you install this security update, the installer checks whether one or more of the files that are being updated on your system were previously updated by a Microsoft hotfix.

For more information about the terminology, such as "hotfix," that appears in this Knowledge Base article, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 824684.

This security update supports the following installation switches.




Note For more information about the Wusa.exe installer, see "Windows Update Stand-alone Installer" in the following Microsoft TechNet topic:

Verifying that the update was applied

Because there are several editions of Windows, the following steps may be different on your system. If they are different, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

Verifying the file version

1. Click Start, and then type an update file name in the Start Search box.
2. When the file appears under Programs, right-click the file name, and then click Properties.
3. On the General tab, compare the file size to the file size that is listed in the file information tables that are provided in the Knowledge Base article.
   
   Note Depending on the edition of the operating system or the programs that are installed in your system, some files that are listed in the file information table may not be installed.
4. You can also click the Details tab to compare such information as file version and date changed to the information that is listed in the file information tables that are provided in the Knowledge Base article.
   
   Note Attributes other than the file version may change during installation. Comparing other file attributes to the information in the file information table is not a supported method of verifying that the update was applied. Also, in certain cases, files may be renamed during installation. If the file or version information does not exist, use one of the other available methods to verify update installation.
5. You can also click the Previous Versions tab, and then compare file information for the earlier version of the file to the file information for the new or updated version of the file.

Help for installing updates: Support for Microsoft Update

Security solutions for IT professionals: TechNet Security Troubleshooting and Support

Help for protecting your Windows-based computer from viruses and malware: Virus Solution and Security Center

Local support according to your country: International Support