Microsoft Patches Record 974 Flaws, Including Two Exploited Windows Zero-Days
The Hacker News, Wednesday, September 9th, 2026
September's Patch Tuesday set a record with 974 fixes, 723 in Windows, over 110 critical and two zero-days.
Microsoft's September Patch Tuesday set a record with 974 vulnerabilities addressed, including 723 in Windows, more than 110 rated critical and two actively exploited zero-days.
Volume at this level breaks the assumption behind most patch processes, which involve reviewing advisories to decide what to prioritize; nobody can read 974 entries in a maintenance window.
The practical response is to prioritize by exploitation status and exposure rather than by severity rating, and to accept that the remaining bulk must be applied by policy rather than by individual decision.