Some have claimed success by disabling a handful of Adobe update services, but it's not certain if that's a reliable fix or if Adobe software is to blame. A Microsoft spokesperson told Bleeping Computer in a statement that the company was "actively investigating" the flaw, although it's not certain what happens next.

If this turns out to be a Windows bug and not the product of a wayward third-party app, it might prove embarrassing for Microsoft. The company already had to fix a wallpaper glitch in Windows 7 just a couple of weeks after support for the operating system ended. This would require yet another out-of-band patch, and for a much more serious issue at that. It may be a while before Microsoft can safely put Windows 7 in the past.