Microsoft released a record number of security patches for Windows, Office, and other product lines this week, attributing the surge to artificial intelligence tools used to find code flaws. The technology giant issued fixes for 570 security vulnerabilities on Tuesday as part of its monthly update cycle known as Patch Tuesday. At least two of these issues are classified as zero-days, meaning hackers exploited them before Microsoft was aware of their existence. One bug affecting Windows Server allows attackers to escalate privileges from a limited user to a system administrator. Another flaw impacts the SharePoint file sharing server, and the US government’s cybersecurity agency CISA warned that hackers were actively using it to compromise organisations.
This volume of updates arrives a week after Microsoft stated it expected its monthly batch to be significantly larger than usual. The company cited AI assistance in helping employees uncover previously undiscovered security bugs within its software. Windows boss Pavan Davuluri noted that as AI helps defenders identify more problems, customers will see a higher volume of security updates in each release. As AI models become more advanced, security researchers are using them to find vulnerabilities that may have remained dormant in software code for years, given that parts of Microsoft’s Windows code date back decades.
- Microsoft issued 570 security patches in a single monthly release.
- Two vulnerabilities are classified as zero-day exploits.
- CISA warned of active exploitation of a SharePoint flaw.
