Microsoft's October 2026 Windows 11 Patch Tuesday update bug disables Smart App Control and blocks re-enabling it
The Windows 11 Patch Tuesday update released on October 13 contains a bug that turns off Smart App Control, a feature introduced in 2022 that blocks potentially malicious or suspicious apps and files. Affected systems show the feature as Off with the On option grayed out, so users cannot re-enable it. Microsoft says it is working on a fix for a future release and has published a temporary workaround. The article does not report any exploitation or attacks, but affected endpoints lose a layer of protection against unknown malware until remediated.
Technical Details
- Affected component: Smart App Control in Windows 11, after the October 13, 2026 Patch Tuesday update.
- Detection: in Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security > App & browser control > Smart App Control settings, the bug is present if the setting is Off and the On option is grayed out.
- No CVE, exploitation or threat actor activity is reported.
Remediation
- Apply the Microsoft-provided workaround: from an elevated command prompt, add two DWORD values (2883193997 and 2850574478, each set to 1) under
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\Microsoft\FeatureManagement\Overrides, then reboot and re-enable Smart App Control. - Install the permanent fix once Microsoft releases it.
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Microsoft's October 2026 Windows 11 Patch Tuesday update bug disables Smart App Control and blocks re-enabling it
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The Windows 11 Patch Tuesday update released on October 13 contains a bug that turns off Smart App Control, a feature introduced in 2022 that blocks potentially malicious or suspicious apps and files. Affected systems show the feature as Off with the On option grayed out, so users cannot re-enable it. Microsoft says it is working on a fix for a future release and has published a temporary workaround. The article does not report any exploitation or attacks, but affected endpoints lose a layer of protection against unknown malware until remediated.
Technical Details
- Affected component: Smart App Control in Windows 11, after the October 13, 2026 Patch Tuesday update.
- Detection: in Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security > App & browser control > Smart App Control settings, the bug is present if the setting is Off and the On option is grayed out.
- No CVE, exploitation or threat actor activity is reported.
Remediation
- Apply the Microsoft-provided workaround: from an elevated command prompt, add two DWORD values (2883193997 and 2850574478, each set to 1) under
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\Microsoft\FeatureManagement\Overrides, then reboot and re-enable Smart App Control. - Install the permanent fix once Microsoft releases it.