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Windows hot-patching assumes Windows Update is the only authorized patcher

devblogs.microsoft.com by Raymond Chen Editor score 7/10

Windows reserves hot-patch space for updates marked safe to apply live, and only Windows Update is authorized to use it. That single-patcher assumption avoids conflict handling, while an existing detour or patch signals unauthorized code.

What: Windows hot-patching lets Windows Update replace functions in running files when an administrator opts in and the update marks a file safe.
How: Only Windows Update is authorized to use reserved hot-patch space; rogue patching can make a file non-patchable and force a reboot.
Why it matters: A patch race can leave a binary half-patched when the updater cannot safely continue or roll back, creating a system reliability risk.

Windows Update applies an authorized patch through reserved space to affected functions. Sketched from the article's own text.

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