On October 13, Microsoft released its monthly security updates for October 2026. The updates address over 1400 vulnerabilities, a record high. In addition to fixing "Critical" severity issues in Windows, Office, Exchange Server, and other products, Microsoft also addressed vulnerabilities that have already been confirmed to be under active exploitation.
One of the actively exploited vulnerabilities is "CVE-2026-96951," which allows bypassing security features in Windows Shell. This vulnerability has been used in attacks even before the release of the updates, and Microsoft is urging users to apply the patches promptly.
For Windows 11, Windows Server, Office, SharePoint, Exchange Server, .NET, and Visual Studio, "Critical" severity vulnerabilities that could allow remote code execution have been fixed. General users should check their update status via Windows Update.
