Overview
- Microsoft released security updates for more than 110 vulnerabilities across Windows and related products, with eight rated critical in components including LSASS, Word, Excel, Windows Graphics and the VBS enclave.
- The actively exploited zero-day CVE-2026-20805 in Desktop Window Manager leaks memory details that can defeat ASLR and be chained with other bugs for reliable compromise.
- CISA added CVE-2026-20805 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, requiring U.S. civilian agencies to patch by February 3, and researchers advise immediate enterprise prioritization.
- The rollout removes legacy Agere and Motorola soft‑modem drivers linked to elevation‑of‑privilege issues, a mitigation that may break hardware or embedded systems still dependent on them.
- A Secure Boot security‑feature bypass tied to expiring 2011 certificates (CVE-2026-21265) calls for coordinated OS and firmware updates to preserve trusted boot and avoid service disruption.