Microsoft breaks another patch Tuesday record

Microsoft is preparing another unusually large Patch Tuesday release that sources say will break a recent record — the third such milestone in a short period. The company’s Windows and security teams have been busier than usual this summer as new AI tools have unearthed a high number of software flaws. The wave of discoveries began in April after Anthropic’s Mythos model reportedly found vulnerabilities across every major operating system and web browser. A subsequent cybersecurity-focused model from OpenAI, shared with trusted partners, also contributed to the uptick in findings, according to people familiar with Microsoft’s security work. Microsoft’s monthly patch totals have climbed sharply. The company typically addresses roughly 100 flaws per month, but June’s release rose to about 200 fixes and July expanded to at least 570 security holes. August saw nearly 400 vulnerabilities patched. Sources say September’s Patch Tuesday will top those figures with more than 650 fixes for Windows alone — roughly six times the pre-AI monthly rate. The surge is forcing IT teams to accelerate testing and deployment of updates. Security teams warn the rapid pace of disclosures increases pressure to close the “patch gap” — the interval between a vulnerability being fixed and organizations applying the update. Researchers also reported Mythos could produce working exploits within hours of disclosures, heightening the urgency to apply patches for issues such as remote code execution and privilege escalation. Observers expect records could be broken again if AI-driven discovery continues to advance.