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Today’s Briefing
Key updates, tutorials and insights for sysadmins & MSPs.
N-able ships emergency N-central hotfix for CVSS 10 flaw CVE-2026-86218
N-able patched CVE-2026-86218, a pre-authentication remote code execution flaw in N-central rated CVSS 10.0. CISA added it to the KEV catalog, and the vendor's own statements on exploitation do not match.
September Windows Server updates are breaking RDS session hosts
Administrators running Windows Server 2019, 2022 and 2025 report that the September 2026 cumulative updates leave Remote Desktop Services working for a few hours, then failing. New connections hang, open sessions cannot log off, and some hosts need a hard reset.
Microsoft confirms August update causes 0xc0000409 errors on Windows Server 2016
Microsoft has acknowledged a known issue where the August 2026 security update makes CompatTelRunner.exe fail repeatedly on Windows Server 2016, filling event logs with Event ID 1000 and exception code 0xc0000409. The company says device functionality is not affected.
How to Set DNS Suffixes on Windows Devices with Microsoft Intune
Push a DNS suffix search list to Windows devices with an Intune settings catalog profile, so users reach internal resources by short name. Includes the two behaviours the policy quietly changes.
Solve a Problem
Step-by-step tutorials to fix real issues.
How to Set DNS Suffixes on Windows Devices with Microsoft Intune
Microsoft IntuneEst. time: 20 minutesIntermediateHow to Remove the OneDrive Photos App from Managed Windows Devices
OneDriveEst. time: 30 minutesIntermediateHow to Fix Windows Update Connectivity Issues Caused by Firewall, Proxy, and TLS Inspection
Windows UpdateEst. time: 30 to 60 minutesIntermediateHide Category View in Windows 11 Start Menu Using Intune
Windows 11, Intune Settings CatalogEst. time: 10 to 15 minutesBeginnerEnable DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) on Windows Server 2025 DNS Server
Windows Server 2025 DNS Server roleEst. time: 45 to 60 minutesAdvanced
Sysadmin Toolbox
Useful tools for everyday tasks.
Subnet Calculator
IPv4 & IPv6 subnets — network, broadcast, host range, class and a subnet divider.
Open tool (opens in a new tab)Windows Log Analyzer
Parse Event Viewer CSV exports, filter and explain common Event IDs.
Open tool (opens in a new tab)Firewall Rule Builder
Generate iptables, nftables, UFW & Windows Firewall rules with presets.
Open tool (opens in a new tab)PowerShell Builder
Build common PowerShell commands visually — no syntax to memorize.
Open tool (opens in a new tab)Compare & Decide
In-depth comparisons to help you choose the right tools.
Arcane vs Portainer CE: Which Docker Manager Should You Run?
Arcane is a newer, lighter Docker and Swarm manager with free built-in RBAC and OIDC. Portainer CE covers Docker, Swarm, and Kubernetes but ships without role-based access control.
Pulumi vs Terraform: Which IaC Tool Should You Choose?
Pulumi and Terraform both automate cloud infrastructure with code, but they pull in different directions. Terraform asks you to learn HCL, a purpose-built configuration language with a huge provider ecosystem. Pulumi lets you write infrastructure in TypeScript, Python, Go, C# or Java. This comparison weighs language, licensing, state, secrets, testing, Kubernetes and developer experience.
Zabbix vs PRTG: Which Network Monitoring Tool Should You Choose?
Zabbix and PRTG both deliver network and infrastructure monitoring, but from opposite design philosophies. Zabbix is a free, open-source, highly customizable platform built for complex, large-scale environments. PRTG is a commercial, agentless, all-in-one tool favored by small-to-medium businesses for its ease of use and quick setup on Windows.
Deep Dives
Clear explanations for complex topics.
CVE-2026-62916 explained: authentication bypass in Microsoft Entra ID
CVE-2026-62916 is a CVSS 9.1 elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in Microsoft Entra ID, classified as CWE-288. This explainer breaks down what the CVE record actually says, what Microsoft has not published, and how to triage a cloud CVE you cannot patch.
Windows 11 Memory Integrity: Microsoft Enables HVCI by Default in October 2026
Starting in October 2026, Microsoft will use monthly Windows updates to turn on Memory Integrity (HVCI) by default on eligible Windows 11 PCs, closing a gap left by devices upgraded from Windows 10.
What Is a WAF (Web Application Firewall)? A Beginner's Guide
A Web Application Firewall (WAF) inspects HTTP traffic at the application layer to block SQL injection, XSS, and other web attacks. Learn how it works and deploy one with Docker.