Microsoft’s October 2025 Patch Tuesday addressed 172 security flaws across multiple products, including two zero-day vulnerabilities that were actively exploited in the wild. One critical issue involved an old Agere modem driver that attackers used to gain elevated privileges, prompting Microsoft to remove the component entirely from supported systems. Another zero-day targeted the Windows Remote Access Connection Manager service, allowing remote code execution through crafted network connections. These exploits demonstrated how long-standing components within Windows can remain viable attack surfaces even after years of incremental patching.

This update cycle also marked the official end of security support for Windows 10, closing a major chapter in Microsoft’s operating system lifecycle. Users and organizations that continue running Windows 10 are now left with limited protection options unless they migrate to Windows 11 or subscribe to the Extended Security Updates program. The transition emphasizes the growing risks of legacy systems remaining online and unpatched, particularly in enterprise and industrial environments where upgrade cycles are slow and embedded dependencies persist.

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Source: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/10/patch-tuesday-october-2025-end-of-10-edition/