New Windows Update Causes Widespread RDP Failures
KB5124010 (Sept 2026 preview) and KB5127648 (Oct 2026 security update)—are breaking Remote Desktop Services (RDS) on Windows 11 and Windows Server. The failures primarily affect non‑admin RDP connections and enterprise-managed hosts with Administrator Protection enabled, producing error 0xC000000D (“The token that was passed to the function is invalid”). Microsoft has confirmed the issue and published temporary and permanent fixes.
Administrator Protection + Recent Updates = Broken RDP
Microsoft confirmed that enabling Administrator Protection (a UAC-hardening feature) causes RDP failures after installing:
KB5124010 (Sept 2026 preview)
KB5127648 (Oct 2026 security update)
Later cumulative updates for Windows 11 24H2 / 25H2 / 26H1 / 26H2
Symptoms:
RDP fails with 0xC000000D
Message: “The token that was passed to the function is invalid.”
Only non-admin users are affected
Windows Server RDS Deadlocks After September 2026 Updates
On Windows Server 2019/2022/2025, the September 2026 cumulative updates caused:
RDP sessions stuck at “Connecting…”
Users unable to log off
MMC, File Explorer, and Windows Update freezing
Hosts requiring hard resets
This was traced to a deadlock in the RDS teardown routine (RDPSERVERBASE!WDLIB_Close).
Affected Versions
Windows 11
KB5124010 (Sept preview)
KB5127648 (Oct security update)
Windows Server
KB5122871 (Server 2025)
KB5122882 (Server 2022)
KB5122876 / KB5122878 (Server 2019 / LTSC)
Azure Windows VMs
RDS instability after Sept 2026 security updates (multiple KBs depending on OS).
Temporary Fix: Disable Administrator Protection
Microsoft recommends disabling Administrator Protection on affected Windows 11 hosts:
Reset User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode via:
Intune
Group Policy
This reduces security hardening—use only until patched.
Microsoft released emergency OOB patches on September 14, 2026:
| OS Version | OOB Fix |
|---|---|
| Windows 11 24H2 / 25H2 | KB5129195 |
| Windows 11 26H1 | KB5129194 |
| Windows Server 2019 | KB5129238 |
| Windows Server 2022 | KB5129237 |
| Windows Server 2025 | KB5129235 |
| Windows 10 21H2 / 22H2 | KB5129236 |
These updates fully resolve the RDS deadlocks and connection failures.
Known Issue Rollback (KIR)
For enterprise environments with Microsoft 365/Windows licensing:
Microsoft published a KIR via Group Policy
Registry Feature Flag Override (Fallback Only)
A manual registry override exists but is unreliable and not recommended.
Since you work in Banking IT / compliance, the safest path is:
1. Identify affected hosts
Check for:
RDP failures with 0xC000000D (Windows 11)
RDS deadlocks after several hours (Windows Server)
KB5124010 / KB5127648 / September 2026 cumulative updates installed
2. Apply the correct OOB update
This is the preferred fix—no security regression.
3. Avoid rolling back September updates
They patch:
CVE‑2026‑69525 (RDS RCE, CVSS 9.8)
Two active zero-days
Rolling back would expose your environment to active exploitation.
4. If you must restore service immediately
Disable Administrator Protection temporarily on Windows 11 hosts.

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