network setting changed from static ip to DHCP after install patch kb4088875 and kb4088878

This is a problem with VMware vmxnet3 adapters on Windows 2008R2. The adapter settings are being removed by the security patch.

DO NOT INSTALL KB4088875 or KB4088878 UNTIL MICROSOFT ADDRESSES THIS ISSUE

In the "Known Issues" section of KB4088875 Microsoft states:

(See https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4088875/windows-7-update-kb4088875)

See also these news threads about this problem:

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/03/14/microsoft_secures_the_servers_of_the_world/

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/microsofts-windows-server-2008-r2-patches-took-some-servers-offline/

https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/843w0w/patch_tuesday_megathread_20180313/

To fix your problem it depends on whether your server subnet has DHCP scopes enabled (in which case your server was just given a new IP address and probably re-registered in DNS and you DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU HAVE A PROBLEM). If you don't have DHCP scopes you server was given a 169.x.x.x IP address by the built-in resolver in Windows and you HAVE NO NETWORK CONNECTIVITY. You will need to launch a console session from vCenter to update the network adapter to the previously set static IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway.

Hey Microsoft, when will you fix KB4088875?