Microsoft December 2025 Patch Tuesday Addresses Zero-Days and 57 Vulnerabilities
Microsoft released its December 2025 Patch Tuesday updates, addressing 57 security vulnerabilities across its product suite, including three zero-day flaws. Among the most critical issues patched is CVE-2025-62221, an actively exploited elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Windows Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver, which could allow attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges. The updates also include a fix for a remote code execution zero-day in PowerShell (CVE-2025-54100), which now prompts users with a security warning when using the Invoke-WebRequest command, and other critical vulnerabilities affecting Windows 10 and 11, as well as related server products. The updates are mandatory for supported systems, including those enrolled in the Extended Security Update (ESU) program, and require a system restart upon installation.
CISA has added CVE-2025-62221 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, urging all organizations to prioritize remediation due to evidence of active exploitation. Security advisories and technical analyses from multiple sources highlight the importance of promptly applying these patches, as the vulnerabilities present significant risks for privilege escalation and remote code execution. The December update also marks the continued support for Windows 10 through ESU, with no new features introduced, focusing solely on security and bug fixes. Organizations are advised to review the full list of addressed CVEs and ensure all relevant systems are updated to mitigate potential threats.
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Microsoft Patch Tuesday December 2025 Addresses Actively Exploited Zero-Days
Microsoft released its December 2025 Patch Tuesday updates, addressing 57 security vulnerabilities across Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server, Office, and related services. Among these, three zero-day vulnerabilities were highlighted: CVE-2025-62221, an actively exploited privilege escalation flaw in the Windows Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver; CVE-2025-64671, a remote code execution vulnerability in GitHub Copilot for JetBrains; and CVE-2025-54100, a remote code execution issue in Windows PowerShell. The update also introduced a new warning in PowerShell to alert users when the `Invoke-WebRequest` command fetches web pages without safe parameters, aiming to prevent script-based attacks that exploit unsafe web content retrieval. Throughout 2025, Microsoft addressed a total of 1,130 CVEs via Patch Tuesday releases, with 41 zero-day vulnerabilities patched, including 24 that were exploited in the wild. Elevation of Privilege and Remote Code Execution vulnerabilities made up the majority of the year's patches, reflecting ongoing attacker focus on these vectors. The December update continues Microsoft's trend of prioritizing critical and important vulnerabilities, reinforcing the need for organizations to promptly apply security updates to mitigate active threats.
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