Microsoft Defender Issues False SQL Server End-of-Life Warning
Microsoft is addressing a significant issue in its Defender for Endpoint security platform that mistakenly identified supported SQL Server versions as reaching their end-of-life. The problem, which was first reported by Bleeping Computer, affects organizations using SQL Server 2017 and 2019 within the Defender XDR environment.
The security system incorrectly flagged both database versions as unsupported, despite SQL Server 2017 remaining supported until October 2027 and SQL Server 2019 until January 2030. This false alert could potentially mislead IT administrators about the security status of their database infrastructure.
Root Cause and Microsoft’s Response
Microsoft attributed the error to what it described as “a code issue introduced by a recent change to end-of-support software.” In an official service alert, the company explained that users might see inaccurate tagging within Threat and Vulnerability Management components.
The tech giant confirmed it’s actively deploying a fix designed to reverse the problematic code change. “We’re continuing to deploy a fix that’s designed to reverse the offending change that introduced the code issue,” Microsoft stated, adding that it would provide completion timelines as they become available.
Recent Defender Reliability Concerns
This SQL Server tagging error represents the latest in a series of Defender-related issues that have emerged in recent weeks. According to detailed reporting from Bleeping Computer, previous incidents included:
- False BIOS firmware alerts on certain Dell devices
- Black-screen crashes affecting macOS systems
- False positive filtering that quarantined messages and blocked links for Exchange Online and Teams users
Impact and Classification
Microsoft has classified this incident as an advisory, typically indicating limited disruption. However, the company acknowledged that the problem could potentially affect all users running SQL Server 2017 and 2019 installations, though it hasn’t specified the exact number of impacted systems.
This situation highlights the ongoing challenges enterprise security tools face in maintaining accuracy while managing complex software support lifecycles. Organizations relying on automated security assessments should remain vigilant about verifying critical system status alerts, particularly when they involve essential infrastructure components like database servers.
Initial reports of this incident were covered by industry monitoring services, providing early awareness to the IT security community about these Defender platform issues.
