Microsoft patched record number of vulnerabilities in October

Microsoft addressed a record-breaking 1,411 vulnerabilities in its October "Patch Tuesday" security updates for Windows 10 and Windows 11. This figure excludes an additional 348 vulnerabilities that were fixed earlier in the month.

The update also included seven zero-day vulnerabilities, three of which were reportedly already being exploited by attackers. One actively exploited vulnerability affected Windows Shell, allowing security mechanisms to be bypassed.

Among the patched vulnerabilities were 677 privilege escalation flaws, 40 security feature bypass flaws, 317 remote code execution flaws, and 254 information disclosure flaws. A total of 70 vulnerabilities were classified as "critical."

Microsoft also introduced a new "risk group" mechanism intended to help organizations prioritize security fixes by grouping related vulnerabilities. This feature is currently considered experimental.