Windows 11 June 2025 Firewall Error (Event ID 2042): Is It A Security Risk?

Windows 11 administrators and power users are no strangers to the occasional glitch that follows major feature updates, but the latest concerns raised by a firewall error after the June 2025 non-security preview update (KB5060829) have attracted uncommon attention. After installing this update on devices running Windows 11 version 24H2, IT professionals and end users alike began noticing a new, persistent error event showing up in the Event Viewer. The entry—logged every time the system reboots—comes from “Windows Firewall With Advanced Security,” labeled as Event ID 2042, with a cryptic message: “Config Read Failed. More data is available.” This repeated log entry, naturally, set off alarms: Could it signal a firewall misconfiguration, or a deeper security risk?

What the Event ID 2042 Error Means​

Digging into the details, the error breaks down as follows:

• Log Name: Security
• Source: Microsoft-Windows-Windows Firewall With Advanced Security
• Event ID: 2042
• Level: Error
• Description: Config Read Failed. More data is available.

Crucially, this event is recorded each and every time the affected system restarts. For IT admins managing hundreds or thousands of endpoints, the sudden proliferation of error events—especially in a security-related log—can wreak havoc on monitoring dashboards and, potentially, on organizational confidence in the platform’s protections.
When a Windows Firewall error appears in the Security log, most IT pros instinctively reach for incident response runbooks. But Microsoft’s official response is both surprising and reassuring.

Microsoft’s Official Statement: “No Real Impact, Ignore the Error”​

Soon after reports of the error began piling up on social media, enterprise tech forums, and internal support channels, Microsoft issued a formal acknowledgement. The company clarified, unequivocally, that:

“Windows Firewall is expected to function normally, and no action is required to prevent or resolve this error event.”

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According to Microsoft’s engineers, the Event ID 2042 error is not the sign of a misconfiguration, a breach, or a failed firewall component. Instead, it’s the byproduct of an as-yet-unfinished feature. The offending code is active in the current build, but does not carry out any functional change—nor does it introduce any vulnerability or alteration in firewall behavior.
Microsoft explained that the error event is essentially a placeholder, triggered when the firewall service checks for a configuration related to a new feature that hasn’t been fully enabled. As a result, there’s a mismatch between what the service expects and what’s available. The error is informational only, and does not mean the firewall isn’t loading existing configuration or enforcing all rules and policies as expected.

No Security Compromise or Firewall Failure​

One of the most important clarifications coming from both Microsoft’s documentation and several independent expert analyses is that there is, at this stage, no evidence the error has any impact on Windows security posture. Several respected Windows security researchers have independently examined the update and the state of affected machines. Their findings all point to an identical conclusion: firewall settings, including custom rules and group policies, are loaded and enforced without interruption.
IT and security teams can verify this themselves by:

• Reviewing firewall rule enforcement using standard tools such as Get-NetFirewallRule or Windows Security Center.
• Testing inbound and outbound traffic based on pre-defined policies.
• Monitoring for any evidence of unauthorized network traffic—which remains absent.

So while the 2042 error in the log might look ominous, current evidence points strongly to its innocuous nature. Still, as with all system-level error messages, ongoing vigilance is warranted. Should any symptoms of firewall malfunction or unanticipated traffic arise, these should be raised directly through official Microsoft support channels.

Filtering Out the Noise: Workarounds for IT Teams​

Even if the error event is harmless, the potential for clutter in monitoring and SIEM tools is far from trivial. Many organizations rely on clean event logs for compliance, threat hunting, and troubleshooting. Repeated false positives can breed alert fatigue and mask true issues.
For those who’d prefer not to see Event ID 2042 in their logs—or, more importantly, want to prevent automatic alerts and tickets from being generated—Microsoft and several trusted community sources have recommended the following workarounds:

1. Filter Event Viewer Results​

You can create a custom view in the Windows Event Viewer to exclude these errors:

• Open Event Viewer, and under the target log (typically Security), choose “Create Custom View.”
• Filter out entries with Event ID 2042.
• Save the view, and set it as your default or favorite for quick access.

2. PowerShell Filtering​

For automation scripts or bulk processing, PowerShell comes in handy. The following command retrieves only Event ID 2042 logs for review or exclusion:
Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{LogName='Security'; ID=2042}
To ignore or exclude these events from log processing:

• Most log management solutions support filtering based on event ID; simply add 2042 to your exclusion list.
• For custom scripts, use Where-Object to skip or flag these entries.

3. SIEM and Monitoring Tool Configuration​

IT teams leveraging enterprise event log management solutions (Splunk, Sentinel, QRadar, etc.) should update parsing rules to ignore this new error until the underlying logging is fixed. Make this adjustment explicit in internal documentation to avoid confusion for new team members.

Impact Scope: Who Is Affected?​

Microsoft confirmed that the issue is strictly confined to Windows 11 version 24H2, the latest evolution of their flagship desktop OS. Windows Server platforms—including Azure and on-premises Windows Server releases—are not affected. This distinction should be noted by IT operations teams managing both workstation and server environments, as it obviates the need for unnecessary checks across server farms.
While client versions are the only ones impacted, the scale of the deployment for Windows 11 24H2 (especially with wider rollout in enterprise environments) means that millions of endpoints may show these events until a patch lands.

Is There a Fix Coming?​

Microsoft has committed to resolving the spurious event logging in a future Windows update. However, no concrete release date or patch timeline has been provided to date. The next regularly scheduled Patch Tuesday or cumulative update may contain the fix, but while speculation is rampant in tech forums, there’s no official confirmation.
For those itching to apply a quick fix: Microsoft does not recommend uninstalling KB5060829 or rolling back to a previous build. Doing so is unnecessary and could expose systems to other bugs or security vulnerabilities addressed by the update. Staying current is always the safer policy, barring confirmed, unmanageable regressions.

What About Third-party Security Layers?​

Third-party endpoint security and firewall products often inject their own log events or even wrap around Windows Firewall. According to current independent investigations, these products are largely unaffected. The error is issued strictly by the native Windows Firewall With Advanced Security component, and external security platforms neither propagate nor misinterpret the event in their own dashboards.
That said, some advanced monitoring solutions pulling Windows logs via WMI or Event Forwarding might still surface the 2042 errors in unified security views. Updating exclusion lists in all relevant tools remains recommended best practice for organizations running layered security.

Critical Assessment: Strengths and Risks​

Strengths​

• Rapid, Transparent Response from Microsoft: Microsoft’s decision to publicly acknowledge the bug and communicate clearly about its harmless nature is a positive change from previous years, when similar bugs sometimes languished without clarification. Their explicit statement calms fears and empowers IT admins to focus on real threats, rather than chasing ghosts in event logs.
• No Security Impact: The most important takeaway for both home and enterprise users is that the firewall continues to function correctly, with all existing rules and policies enforced. There is no evidence—user-reported or researcher-confirmed—of any data leak, intrusion, or network misbehavior.
• Workarounds Available: The ability to filter the event from logs using built-in tools (Event Viewer, PowerShell, monitoring platforms) lets teams maintain operational hygiene while waiting for a fix.

Risks and Weaknesses​

• Alert Fatigue: Persistent, unexplained error events in security logs have the potential to desensitize teams to actual, actionable issues. The risk of “white noise” in log streams is real, particularly for organizations using automated alerting or ticketing on critical event IDs.
• User Perception and Confidence: Even if the error is harmless, repeated security errors undermine non-expert user confidence in Windows’ reliability and security posture. Home users, small business admins, and less technical IT staff may feel uncertain or concerned until the underlying issue is properly patched and communications reinforced.
• Potential for Overlooked Config Issues in the Future: While 2042 is benign today, organizations that get in the habit of filtering out security events might miss more critical alerts if a future update inadvertently uses the same or nearby event IDs for genuine errors. Microsoft should ensure new logging events are unambiguous and well-documented in future builds.

How Should IT Teams Communicate This Issue to Stakeholders?​

Clear and timely communication is essential. Recommended approaches include:

• Circulate Microsoft’s public statement and relevant KB articles to all IT staff and power users.
• Explain in non-technical language that the error causes no functional or security impact.
• Document the decision to filter or ignore Event ID 2042, with a plan to revisit when Microsoft releases a fix.
• Remind users and teams to report any actual firewall symptom (e.g., unexpected connection acceptance, blocked traffic outside policy) via normal support escalation—ensuring real issues get attention.

For regulated businesses, note that most compliance frameworks (such as ISO 27001, NIST CSF, or SOC 2) allow for contextual interpretation of error events. So long as the event is recorded, documented, and shown to pose no risk, filtering or exclusion is permitted.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Q: Will my firewall stop working or allow unsafe traffic?
A: No. There is no evidence, either from Microsoft or independent reports, that the firewall ceases to enforce configured rules or exposes your device to risk. Normal operations continue.
Q: Should I uninstall the June 2025 update or downgrade my system?
A: No. Microsoft advises no such action. Uninstalling could remove important security fixes unrelated to this event and re-introduce old bugs.
Q: How long will this error appear in my logs?
A: Until Microsoft issues a cumulative or targeted fix—possibly within the next few Patch Tuesday cycles—but no concrete date is available yet.
Q: Does this affect Windows Server or older Windows 10/11 builds?
A: No. Only Windows 11 version 24H2 is affected. Servers and other client builds remain unaffected.

Best Practice Recommendations for Impacted Organizations​

• Implement Event ID Filtering: Update log aggregation, SIEM, and monitoring platforms to suppress or exclude 2042 error events.
• Maintain Documentation: Track the issue in change logs and IT runbooks, including the specific Microsoft communication on this error.
• Prepare for Patch Management: Monitor Microsoft support channels and the official Windows release health dashboard for notification of the upcoming fix.
• Empower Frontline Support: Arm helpdesks with official language—“This is a harmless error caused by in-development Windows Firewall features; it does not indicate a security risk or configuration error.”
• Communicate Calmly: Proactive, measured outreach to users and stakeholders can defuse unnecessary concern and keep attention focused on operational priorities.

Closing Perspective: A Reminder of the Human Side of IT​

The Event ID 2042 issue embodies the dynamic nature of modern endpoint management, where continuous development and rapid deployment mean even mature platforms like Windows can throw curveballs. While in this case, the error is largely cosmetic, it reinforces two fundamental lessons for Windows professionals:

• Trust, but Verify: Always double-check even the “official” guidance, as early statements can evolve. Cross-reference Microsoft docs, security forums, and trusted community channels for a composite view.
• Control the Narrative: Small, unexplained errors can snowball into organizational FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) if left unaddressed. IT leaders, not error logs, should shape end-user understanding.

Ultimately, the rapid clarification from Microsoft, together with a community of seasoned administrators and researchers, has kept this incident a footnote—rather than the prelude to wider chaos. If past patterns hold, a fixed update will soon relegate Event ID 2042 to the annals of Windows trivia. Until then, a bit of extra log hygiene, well-communicated, will ensure that firewall vigilance remains where it belongs: focused on the real threats, not the red herrings.

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Source: Cyber Press Microsoft Acknowledges Firewall Error After Recent Windows Update