Security News > 2022 > April > Microsoft now lets you enable the Windows App Installer again, here's how

Microsoft now allows enterprise admins to re-enable the MSIX ms-appinstaller protocol handler disabled after Emotet abused it to deliver malicious Windows App Installer packages.

App Installer allows users to install Windows applications directly from a web server using an MSIX package or App Installer file without first downloading the installers to their computer.

Microsoft disabled the ms-appinstaller scheme in response to reports of ongoing Emotet attacks exploiting a zero-day Windows AppX Installer spoofing vulnerability, forcing users to download the app packages to their device before installing them using App Installer.

On systems where the App Installer update cannot be deployed using the Internet-based installer, Microsoft also provides an offline version on the Microsoft Download Center.

The App Installer feature will be re-enabled after downloading and deploying the Desktop App Installer policy and selecting "Enable App Installer ms-appinstaller protocol."

"You will need both the latest App Installer app and the Desktop App Installer policy to enabled in order to use the ms-appinstaller protocol for MSIX," Hartono added.

News URL

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/microsoft-now-lets-you-enable-the-windows-app-installer-again-heres-how/