Windows 10 Cumulative Update KB4480116 Causes Browsing Issue

Windows 10 Network Bug in All Versions

On January 8, Patch Tuesday, Microsoft released Windows 10 cumulative update KB4480116 for Windows 10 version 1809 (October 2018 Update). However, this update eventually caused Microsoft Edge to fail to load web pages on the local network from certain devices, such as certain router versions.

Now Microsoft has acknowledged this problem, saying that in some cases, Windows 10 cumulative update KB4480116 could let some users fail to load a web page when a local IP address is being used in Microsoft Edge, and browsing fails or the web page may be unresponsive.

As a matter of fact, this issue is not exclusive to Windows 10 October Update. The vulnerability has been confirmed in several cumulative updates that have been released in mid-January, as shown below:

1. Windows 10 version 1803: January 15, 2019—KB4480976 (OS Build 17134.556)

2. Windows 10 version 1709: January 15, 2019—KB4480967 (OS Build 16299.936

3. Windows 10 version 1703: January 15, 2019—KB4480959 (OS Build 15063.1596)

It is most likely that this issue is related to fixing a serious bug in Windows and is prior to loading the router web page. Well then, how to work around the network issue? Go to the next part to find the answer.

How to Fix Browsing Issue Caused by KB4480116

As with every cumulative update that causes issues, removing KB4480116 indeed can fix the network bug in all Windows 10 versions although users are recommended to stick with the solution offered by the company. Since KB4480116 also contains security fixes, deleting it can cause exploits aimed at patched vulnerabilities.

Actually, all affected versions, the workaround is pretty much the same. So if users have installed any of the above mentioned cumulative updates, here is what they need to do to fix the network bug in all Windows 10 versions.

As Microsoft says, the bug happens when users try to load a local page, thus they have to add the page that is failing to the trusted sites list.

To do this, follow the step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Go to Control Panel, and select Internet Options.

Step 2: Under the Security tab, choose the Trusted Site icon.

Step 3: Click the Sites button.

Step 4: Uncheck the box Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone.

Step 5: In the Add this website to the zone field, input the local IP address that fails to load, for example, http: 192.168.0.1.

Step 6: Click the Add button, and choose the check box Reuqure server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone.

Step 7: Now, everything is all set. Just click Close and OK button, then restart Microsoft Edge.

When launching the browser, the web page should load correctly without browsing issue caused by KB4480116.

New Update Is Coming on Next Patch Tuesday

Reportedly, Microsoft has already started working on a fix, but an ETA isn’t available. According to Microsoft, it will release a patch in an upcoming release. This means anything from cumulative update shipping by the end of the month to the next Patch Tuesday cycle coming on February 12.

Once Microsoft releases a fix, users can safely follow these steps again to remove the website from the list.