Microsoft breaks another patch Tuesday record
Engineers at Microsoft typically enjoy a quieter summer to take vacations and spend time with family, as is common at many companies. But this year, the season has been unusually busy for Windows and security engineers, thanks to new AI models that are discovering software vulnerabilities at a rapid pace. Sources tell me that Microsoft […]
Microsoft's September 2026 Patch Tuesday set a record by addressing 974 security flaws, including two zero-day vulnerabilities that have already been exploited. The vulnerabilities affect various components, with 723 impacting Windows and 111 targeting Office products. Security researchers suggest that Microsoft's use of AI-assisted tools may contribute to the high number of vulnerabilities discovered.
Two vulnerabilities, CVE-2026-81963 and CVE-2026-85880, are classified as actively exploited and can allow attackers to gain SYSTEM-level privileges. These should be prioritized by IT teams. Additionally, 20 vulnerabilities are potentially wormable, with CVE-2026-69730, a DNS server flaw, being particularly concerning. IT teams should focus on patching or mitigating these high-risk vulnerabilities first, followed by other exposed infrastructure components like DHCP, Remote Desktop Services, and Exchange Server.
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Also reported by 3 other outlets
- Microsoft Breaks Another Patch Tuesday Record it.slashdot.org
- Microsoft Fixes 974 Flaws in Record Patch Tuesday techrepublic.com
- Microsoft's September 2026 Patch Tuesday fixes a record ~972 vulnerabilities, bringing its total flaws patched in 2026 to 2,760, more than double from 2025 (Dan Goodin/Ars Technica) arstechnica.com
