This update includes both security and non-security updates, therefore it is recommended for the users to update their frameworks to the latest build on priority. If you are running Windows 10 version 1809 or higher, you will probably have .NET Framework 4.8. You can manually upgrade to .NET Framework 5.0.3 using the download links provided below. Let’s dig into what the new update brings to the table.
New features and improvements in .NET Framework 5.0.3
As mentioned earlier, this update includes both security and non-security updates. Let’s see what those are:
Update to .NET Docker images
Although, Microsoft incorporated this change in the last update .NET Framework 5.0.2, they claim that further improvements have been made to .NET Docker samples. Developers can now run the below-shown command to run the latest .NET Framework 5.0 within the containers: For this to run, the following repositories have been updated:
dotnet/sdk: .NET SDKdotnet/aspnet: ASP.NET Core Runtimedotnet/runtime: .NET Runtimedotnet/runtime-deps: .NET Runtime Dependenciesdotnet/samples: .NET Samples
Updates to Denial of Service and Remote Code Execution vulnerabilities
Microsoft has also released security advisories for CVE-2021-1721 (.NET Core Denial of Service Vulnerability) and CVE-2021-24112 (.NET 5 and .NET Core Remote Code Execution vulnerability). Guidance for developers to protect their applications and remove these vulnerabilities is also included. According to Microsoft, a Denial of Service vulnerability exists when you are creating an HTTPS web request during X509 certificate chain building. Remote Code Execution vulnerability exists only on macOS or Linux systems when parsing specific types of graphic files.
Supported Operating Systems/Requirements
.NET Framework can’t be installed on all Windows Operating Systems but only a handful of Windows 10 versions are supported. This is because it is only compatible with Visual Studio 2019 16.8 Preview 4 and above. Since the mentioned Visual Studio 2019 is only compatible with the following Operating Systems, the .NET Framework 5.0.3 also only supports the following variants of Windows and Server:
Windows 10 version 1703 or higher. Editions: Home, Professional, Education, and Enterprise (LTSC and S are not supported)Windows Server 2019. Editions: Standard and DatacenterWindows Server 2016. Editions: Standard and DatacenterWindows 8.1 (with Update KB2919355). Editions: Core, Professional, and EnterpriseWindows Server 2012 R2 (with Update KB2919355). Editions: Essentials, Standard, DatacenterWindows 7 SP1 (with latest Windows Updates) Editions: Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate
Moreover, MSI packages are also available for x86, x64, ARM64, macOS, and Linux systems.
Download .NET Framework 5.0.3
Use the direct download links below to download the .NET Framework 5.0.3 Runtime and SDKs, according to your Operating System and architecture:
Runtime:
Download .NET Framework 5.0.3 runtime for Windows x64 Download .NET Framework 5.0.3 runtime for Windows x86 Download .NET Framework 5.0.3 runtime binaries for Windows ARM64 Download .NET Framework 5.0.3 runtime for macOS Download .NET Framework 5.0.3 runtime for Linux (refer to support page)
SDKs
Download .NET Framework 5.0.3 SDK for Windows x64 Download .NET Framework 5.0.3 SDK for Windows x86 Download .NET Framework 5.0.3 SDK for Windows ARM64 Download .NET Framework 5.0.3 SDK for macOS Download .NET Framework 5.0.3 SDK for Linux (refer to support page) More download and install options here.
Installing .NET Framework 5.0.2
Now that you have downloaded the respective installation package, you can begin to install it. The installation of the .NET Framework 5.0.3 is very simple. Download the MSI file from the links provided above and execute it for installation. Once you have installed it, all your applications will run using the new build as the previous version will be replaced. You have now installed the .NET Framework 5.0.3. You may check which .NET version is running by typing in the following command in Command Prompt:
Closing words
We recommend that if you use .NET Framework to develop your applications, you are updated to the latest version right now. Also, read through what Microsoft suggests to mitigate any vulnerabilities that have been highlighted in the “New features and improvements” section above. Also see:
Download and Install .NET Framework 5.0.2 (Offline Installers)Download and Install .NET 5.0.5 (Offline Installers)Download And Install .NET Framework 5 (Offline Installers).NET 5.0.4 Offline installers + .NET Upgrade AssistantDownload and Install .NET 5.0.10 and .NET Core 3.1.19 (Offline installers)
