Microsoft: Removes unsafe TLS support in Linux Software Repository

Microsoft will discontinue support for the TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 insecure protocols in the Linux Software Repository from September 24, 2020.

TLS is a secure protocol used to encrypt communication channels between sites and web browsers, with the original TLS 1.0 and the successor to TLS 1.1 being used for the last 20 years.

Linux Software Repository hosts a wide range of software products for Linux systems manufactured and supported by the company. These products are available for download from package.microsoft.com.

Detailed information on how to configure the Linux Software Repository manually or automatically for several Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, SUSE, and Enterprise Linux (RHEL and variants) is available here.

Support for TLS 1.0 and 1.1 has been discontinued

"Microsoft creates and supports a variety of software products for Linux systems and makes them available at package.microsoft.com," the company told Windows Message Center.

"To support up-to-date security standards, package.microsoft.com will discontinue support for packet downloads via Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.0 and 1.1 as of September 24, 2020."

Following this change, connections made using these unsafe protocols "will no longer work as expected and no support will be provided."

In order to continue accessing packages hosted on package.microsoft.com after this date, you must enable TLS 1.2 or later.

"Where possible, Microsoft recommends that organizations remove all TLS 1.0 and 1.1 in their environment and disable TLS 1.0 / 1.1 at the operating system level," the company added.

As part of the same move to increase customer security and privacy, Microsoft announced earlier this month that TLS 1.3 will be enabled by default on all versions of Windows 10 Insider Preview starting with Build 20170 as the start of a wider release on all systems they run Windows 10.

"TLS 1.3 eliminates outdated cryptographic algorithms and enhances security in older publications", Said Microsoft.

The company also set an official date to stop supporting the unsafe Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.0 and 1.1 protocols in Office 365 - October 15, 2020, following the temporary suspension of the pandemic.