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Tag: Microsoft

Microsoft flips Windows Autopatch to default hotpatch security updates

Microsoft is changing the default behavior in Windows Autopatch so that hotpatch security updates are enabled automatically for eligible devices managed through Microsoft Intune or the Microsoft Graph API starting with the May 2026 Windows security update. Windows Autopatch is a Microsoft-managed service that automates updates for Windows and Office. It also lets IT administrators…

Microsoft warns of ClickFix campaign exploiting Windows Terminal to deliver Lumma Stealer

Microsoft warns of ClickFix campaign using Windows Terminal to deliver Lumma Stealer via social engineering attacks. Microsoft revealed a new ClickFix campaign where attackers exploit Windows Terminal to run a complex attack chain, ultimately deploying Lumma Stealer malware. The campaign uses social engineering to trick users into executing malicious commands, highlighting growing risks to Windows…

Google Workspace vs. Microsoft 365: What’s the best office suite for business?

Once upon a time, Microsoft Office ruled the business world. By the late ’90s and early 2000s, Microsoft’s office suite had brushed aside rivals such as WordPerfect Office and Lotus SmartSuite, and there was no competition on the horizon. Then in 2006 Google came along with Google Docs & Spreadsheets, a collaborative online word processing and…

OAuth phishers make ‘check where the link points’ advice ineffective

Microsoft has warned that phishers are exploiting a built-in behavior of the OAuth authentication protocol to redirect victims to malware, using links that point to legitimate identity provider domains such as Microsoft Entra ID and Google Workspace. The links look safe but ultimately lead somewhere that isn’t. “OAuth includes a legitimate feature that allows identity…

OAuth phishers make ‘check where the link points’ advice ineffective

Microsoft has warned that phishers are exploiting a built-in behavior of the OAuth authentication protocol to redirect victims to malware, using links that point to legitimate identity provider domains such as Microsoft Entra ID and Google Workspace. The links look safe but ultimately lead somewhere that isn’t. “OAuth includes a legitimate feature that allows identity…

Phishing campaign exploits OAuth redirection to bypass defenses

Microsoft researchers warn that threat actors abuse OAuth redirects to target government users and deliver malware. Microsoft has warned of phishing campaigns targeting government and public-sector organizations by abusing OAuth URL redirection. Instead of stealing credentials or exploiting software flaws, attackers leverage OAuth’s legitimate by-design behavior to bypass email and browser defenses. The tactic redirects…

Microsoft Warns OAuth Redirect Abuse Delivers Malware to Government Targets

Microsoft on Monday warned of phishing campaigns that employ phishing emails and OAuth URL redirection mechanisms to bypass conventional phishing defenses implemented in email and browsers. The activity, the company said, targets government and public-sector organizations with the end goal of redirecting victims to attacker-controlled infrastructure without stealing their tokens. It described

Russia-linked APT28 exploited MSHTML zero-day CVE-2026-21513 before patch

Russia-linked APT28 reportedly exploited MSHTML zero-day CVE-2026-21513 before Microsoft patched it, a high-severity bypass flaw. Akamai reports that Russia-linked APT28 may have exploited CVE-2026-21513 CVSS score of 8.8), a high-severity MSHTML vulnerability (CVSS 8.8), before Microsoft patched it in February 2026. The vulnerability is an Internet Explorer security control bypass that can lead to code…

APT28 Tied to CVE-2026-21513 MSHTML 0-Day Exploited Before Feb 2026 Patch Tuesday

A recently disclosed security flaw patched by Microsoft may have been exploited by the Russia-linked state-sponsored threat actor known as APT28, according to new findings from Akamai. The vulnerability in question is CVE-2026-21513 (CVSS score: 8.8), a high-severity security feature bypass affecting the MSHTML Framework. “Protection mechanism failure in MSHTML Framework allows an unauthorized

Microsoft warns of job‑themed repo lures targeting developers with multi‑stage backdoors

Microsoft says it has uncovered a coordinated campaign targeting software developers through malicious repositories posing as legitimate Next.js projects and technical assessments. The campaign employs carefully crafted lures to blend into routine workflows, such as cloning repositories, opening projects, and running builds, thereby allowing the malicious code to execute undetected. Telemetry collected during an incident…

A Practical Guide to Microsoft Copilot for MSPs

If you’re an MSP considering adding Microsoft Copilot to your portfolio in 2026, it’s worth being deliberate about how you package and position it for clients. For many organizations, pitching AI as a novel “productivity booster” is no longer enough.  Customers increasingly expect the conversation to shift from experimentation to execution, anchored in defined use…

Microsoft adds domain libraries and Copilot integration to the quantum development kit

The Microsoft Quantum Development Kit (QDK) is an open-source toolkit that runs on laptops and in common development environments. It includes code, simulators, libraries, and workflows that work with Visual Studio Code and GitHub Copilot. Integration with these tools gives developers features for writing, testing, debugging, and submitting quantum code. The QDK supports multiple programming…

Microsoft expands Sovereign Cloud security with governance, local productivity and AI

Microsoft expands Microsoft Sovereign Cloud with new disconnected and AI capabilities that help organizations run critical infrastructure, productivity services and large AI models inside sovereign boundaries while keeping governance and operational continuity across connected and disconnected environments. Sovereign Private Cloud unifies Azure Local, Microsoft 365 Local and Foundry Local, bringing infrastructure, productivity and support for…

Microsoft 365 Copilot Bug Circumvented DLP Controls

Microsoft has confirmed a bug in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat that allowed the AI assistant to summarize emails labeled as confidential, even when sensitivity labels and data loss prevention (DLP) policies were in place.  The issue, first identified on Jan. 21, 2026 and tracked internally as CW1226324, impacted Copilot’s “work tab” chat feature. “Without proper…

Microsoft Patches CVE-2026-26119 Privilege Escalation in Windows Admin Center

Microsoft has disclosed a now-patched security flaw in Windows Admin Center that could allow an attacker to escalate their privileges. Windows Admin Center is a locally deployed, browser-based management tool set that lets users manage their Windows Clients, Servers, and Clusters without the need for connecting to the cloud. The high-severity vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-26119,…

Microsoft reveals critical Windows Admin Center vulnerability (CVE-2026-26119)

Microsoft has disclosed a privilege-escalation vulnerability in Windows Admin Center (WAC), a browser-based platform widely used by IT administrators and infrastructure teams to manage Windows clients, servers, clusters, Hyper-V hosts and virtual machines, as well as Active Directory-joined systems. Although the issue was patched in early December 2025 with the release of Windows Admin Center…

Microsoft signals breakthrough in data storage that can last for generations

Microsoft announced progress on Project Silica, its research initiative focused on developing durable, long-term quartz glass-based data storage technology. Close up of Writer showing high-speed multi-beam data encoding on laser pulses (Source: Microsoft) Rising global data volumes increase the need for storage that can last for generations. Researchers believe this technology could preserve information for…

XSS Bug in VS Code Extension Exposed Local Files

A widely used Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code) extension quietly exposed millions of developers to potential local file exfiltration through a cross-site scripting (XSS) flaw.  The issue affected the official Live Preview extension — downloaded more than 11 million times — and allowed malicious websites to interact with a developer’s localhost environment.  An “……

Microsoft Edge 145 lands with major enterprise security upgrades

Microsoft has begun rolling out Edge 145 to the Stable release channel, adding several enterprise-focused security enhancements. The update is being deployed in phases, with some features available through preview and targeted release programs. Edge 145 brings expanded data protection capabilities to Edge for Business. The browser supports cross-tenant enforcement of Intune App Protection Policies…

Critical Flaws Found in Four VS Code Extensions with Over 125 Million Installs

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed multiple security vulnerabilities in four popular Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code) extensions that, if successfully exploited, could allow threat actors to steal local files and execute code remotely. The extensions, which have been collectively installed more than 125 million times, are Live Server, Code Runner, Markdown Preview Enhanced, and

U.S. CISA adds Google Chromium CSS, Microsoft Windows, TeamT5 ThreatSonar Anti-Ransomware, and Zimbra flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) adds Google Chromium CSS, Microsoft Windows, TeamT5 ThreatSonar Anti-Ransomware, and Zimbra flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added Google Chromium CSS, Microsoft Windows, TeamT5 ThreatSonar Anti-Ransomware, and Zimbra flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Below are the flaws…

Microsoft Defender update lets SOC teams manage, vet response tools

Microsoft introduced library management in Microsoft Defender to help security analysts working with live response manage scripts and tools they use to triage, investigate and remediate threats. The library management interface allows analysts to organize their investigation tools and manage everything without waiting for an active session. “This enhancement in Defender’s live response tooling improves…

Microsoft Finds “Summarize with AI” Prompts Manipulating Chatbot Recommendations

New research from Microsoft has revealed that legitimate businesses are gaming artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots via the “Summarize with AI” button that’s being increasingly placed on websites in ways that mirror classic search engine poisoning (AI). The new AI hijacking technique has been codenamed AI Recommendation Poisoning by the Microsoft Defender Security Research Team. The…

Microsoft equips CISOs and AI risk leaders with a new security tool

Microsoft released Security Dashboard for AI in public preview for enterprise environments. The dashboard aggregates posture and real-time risk signals from Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Entra, and Microsoft Purview into a single view within security tools. Security Dashboard for AI in browser (Source: Microsoft) “The dashboard equips CISOs and AI risk leaders with a governance tool…

Microsoft alerts on DNS-based ClickFix variant delivering malware via nslookup

Microsoft warns of a new ClickFix variant that tricks users into running DNS commands to fetch malware via nslookup. Microsoft has revealed a new ClickFix variant that deceives users into running a malicious nslookup command through the Windows Run dialog to retrieve a second-stage payload via DNS. ClickFix typically uses fake CAPTCHA or error messages…

Microsoft Discloses DNS-Based ClickFix Attack Using Nslookup for Malware Staging

Microsoft has disclosed details of a new version of the ClickFix social engineering tactic in which the attackers trick unsuspecting users into running commands that carry out a Domain Name System (DNS) lookup to retrieve the next-stage payload. Specifically, the attack relies on using the “nslookup” (short for nameserver lookup) command to execute a custom…

FTC digs deeper into Microsoft’s bundling and licensing practices

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seems to be doubling down on its investigation of Microsoft and the tech giant’s potentially shady bundling and licensing practices. According to a Bloomberg report, the federal agency has been issuing civil investigative demands (CIDs) to companies that compete with Microsoft in the business software and cloud computing markets.…

FTC digs deeper into Microsoft’s bundling and licensing practices

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seems to be doubling down on its investigation of Microsoft and the tech giant’s potentially shady bundling and licensing practices. According to a Bloomberg report, the federal agency has been issuing civil investigative demands (CIDs) to companies that compete with Microsoft in the business software and cloud computing markets.…

Windows Notepad Markdown feature opens door to RCE (CVE-2026-20841)

Among the many security fixes released by Microsoft on February 2026 Patch Tuesday is one for CVE-2026-20841, a command injection vulnerability in Notepad that could be exploited by attackers to achieve remote code execution on targets’ Windows system. About CVE-2026-20841 For many, many years, Windows Notepad was a simple text editor and a staple tool…

Microsoft Store updated with a new CLI, analytics, and Web Installer improvements

Microsoft has introduced new developer tools, updates to developer analytics, and a Web Installer in the Microsoft Store on Windows to help developers build and scale apps on the platform. “The Microsoft Store on Windows continues to evolve, shaped by ongoing feedback from developers building and scaling apps on the platform. Over the past months,…

Windows Notepad RCE Flaw Exploits Markdown Files

Microsoft has patched a vulnerability in the modern Windows Notepad app that could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted Markdown file.  The issue carries a CVSS score of 8.8 and requires user interaction to exploit. The vulnerability “… allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network,” said Microsoft…

Microsoft begins Secure Boot certificate update for Windows devices

Microsoft has begun updating Secure Boot certificates originally issued in 2011 to ensure that Windows devices continue to verify boot software as older certificates reach the end of their lifecycle and begin expiring in June 2026. How Secure Boot certificate updates work For most individuals and businesses that allow Microsoft to manage updates, the new…

Windows Patch Fixes Exploited RasMan DoS Flaw 

Microsoft has patched a vulnerability in the Windows Remote Access Connection Manager (RasMan) service that was being exploited to trigger denial-of-service (DoS) conditions on unpatched systems. If exploited, the flaw can cause the remote access service to crash, potentially interrupting VPN connectivity and affecting remote access for users and administrators. The vulnerability “… allows an…

Microsoft Patch Tuesday: 6 exploited zero-days fixed in February 2026

Microsoft has plugged 50+ security holes on February 2026 Patch Tuesday, including six zero-day vulnerabilities exploited by attackers in the wild. The “security feature bypass” zero-days Among the zero-days fixed are three vulnerabilities that allow attackers to bypass a security feature. CVE-2026-21513 affects the MSHTML/Trident browser engine for the Microsoft Windows version of Internet Explorer,…

That “summarize with AI” button might be manipulating you

Microsoft security researchers discovered a growing trend of AI memory poisoning attacks used for promotional purposes, referred to as AI Recommendation Poisoning. The MITRE ATLAS knowledge base classifies this behavior as AML.T0080: Memory Poisoning. The activity focuses on shaping future recommendations by inserting prompts that cause an assistant to treat specific companies, websites, or services…

U.S. CISA adds Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) adds Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Below are the flaws added to the catalog: CVE-2026-21510 Microsoft Windows Shell Protection Mechanism Failure…

February 2026 Patch Tuesday: Six new and actively exploited Microsoft vulnerabilities addressed

Microsoft highlighted six new and actively exploited vulnerabilities among the 60 fixes issued in today’s February Patch Tuesday releases. However, Tyler Reguly, associate director of security R&D at Fortra, says there’s good news: The issues are easy to resolve with regular Microsoft patches for Windows and Office, and none require any post patch configuration steps.…

Microsoft Patch Tuesday security updates for February 2026 fix six actively exploited zero-days

Microsoft Patch Tuesday security updates for February 2026 fix six actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities. Microsoft Patch Tuesday security updates for February 2026 fix 58 new security flaws across Windows, Office, Azure, Edge, Exchange, Hyper-V, WSL, and other components, rising to 62 CVEs when third-party updates are included. Five vulnerabilities are Critical, two Moderate, and most…

Patch Tuesday, February 2026 Edition

Microsoft today released updates to fix more than 50 security holes in its Windows operating systems and other software, including patches for a whopping six “zero-day” vulnerabilities that attackers are already exploiting in the wild. Zero-day #1 this month is CVE-2026-21510, a security feature bypass vulnerability in Windows Shell wherein a single click on a…

Global Group ransomware gang running new campaign using Windows shortcut files

When Microsoft patched a vulnerability last summer that allowed threat actors to use Windows’ shortcut (.lnk) files in exploits, defenders might have hoped use of this tactic would decline. They were wrong. According to researchers at Forcepoint, a new high-volume phishing campaign spreading the Global Group ransomware has been detected that hopes to sucker employees…

Bing Ads Abused to Deliver Azure-Hosted Tech Support Scams

A recently identified scam campaign is using Bing search advertisements and Microsoft Azure infrastructure to redirect users to fraudulent tech support pages, demonstrating how legitimate platforms can be misused for social engineering activity.  “The tech support scam campaign had a significant initial impact, affecting users across 48 different organizations in the U.S. within a short…

Microsoft tightens Windows security with app transparency and user consent

Microsoft is strengthening default protections in Windows through two security initiatives, Windows Baseline Security Mode and User Transparency and Consent. User Transparency and Consent User Transparency and Consent introduces a structured approach to how Windows presents security decisions to users. The operating system will prompt users when applications request access to sensitive resources such as…

Ransomware group breached SmarterTools via flaw in its SmarterMail deployment

SmarterTools, the company behind the popular Microsoft Exchange alternative SmarterMail, has been breached by a ransomware-wielding group that leveraged a recently fixed vulnerability in that solution. How did the SmarterTools breach happen? Derek Curtis, the firm’s Chief Operating Officer, said that the breach happened on January 29, 2026. “Prior to the breach, we had approximately…

Ransomware group breached SmarterTools via flaw in its SmarterMail deployment

SmarterTools, the company behind the popular Microsoft Exchange alternative SmarterMail, has been breached by a ransomware-wielding group that leveraged a recently fixed vulnerability in that solution. How did the SmarterTools breach happen? Derek Curtis, the firm’s Chief Operating Officer, said that the breach happened on January 29, 2026. “Prior to the breach, we had approximately…

SolarWinds Web Help Desk Exploited for RCE in Multi-Stage Attacks on Exposed Servers

Microsoft has revealed that it observed a multi‑stage intrusion that involved the threat actors exploiting internet‑exposed SolarWinds Web Help Desk (WHD) instances to obtain initial access and move laterally across the organization’s network to other high-value assets. That said, the Microsoft Defender Security Research Team said it’s not clear whether the activity weaponized recently

February 2026 Patch Tuesday forecast: Lots of OOB love this month

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and Microsoft has been giving us a lot of love with a non-stop supply of patches starting with January 2026 Patch Tuesday. The January releases addressed 92 vulnerabilities in Windows 11 and Server2025, as well as 79 vulnerabilities for Windows 10 and its associated servers. We also saw…

Microsoft aims to reward publishers for content used by AI

Microsoft thinks it has a win-win-win answer to the problem of AI chatbots delivering unreliable information: let them pay publishers for access to information that users can trust.  Its Publisher Content Marketplace (PCM) has the triple aim of improving the quality of material provided to AI systems, providing revenue to those who provide the information,…

Microsoft develops a new scanner to detect hidden backdoors in LLMs

Microsoft has developed a scanner designed to detect backdoors in open-weight AI models, addressing a critical blind spot for enterprises increasingly dependent on third-party LLMs. In a blog post, the company said its research focused on identifying hidden triggers and malicious behaviors embedded during the training or fine-tuning of language models, which can remain dormant…

Microsoft launches LiteBox, a security-focused open-source library OS

Microsoft has released LiteBox, a project intended to function as a security-focused library OS that can serve as a secure kernel for protecting a guest kernel using virtualization hardware. LiteBox was developed in collaboration with the Linux Virtualization Based Security (LVBS) project. The goal is to isolate and protect a normal guest kernel by running…