The most critical Windows updates in 2025
Regularly applying Microsoft updates is essential to maintaining a secure and reliable IT environment. Many of the vulnerabilities allowed attackers to execute malicious code or escalate privileges with minimal user interaction, such as opening a document or viewing an email. Several of these flaws were actively exploited, posing significant risks to both individual users and organizations. The table below highlights the most critical updates released in 2025.
| Patch / KB or CVE identifier | Date | What the patch fixed |
|---|---|---|
| CVE-2025-29824 | Apr 9 2025 | A flaw in Windows logs that ransomware gangs were using to take over PCs. |
| KB5002700 (Office 2016) | Apr 8 2025 | Office bug that could let hackers run their programs if you opened a file. |
| KB5002623 (Office 2016 hotfix) | Apr 10 2025 | Fixes crashes that came from the April 8 Office update. |
| CVE-2025-33053 | Jun 10 2025 | A web file-sharing bug that let attackers run code on your PC without you knowing. |
| CVE-2025-33073 | Jun 10 2025 | A networking bug in Windows that could give hackers full system control. |
| CVE-2025-47162, 47164, 47167, 47953 | Jun 2025 | Office file bugs where opening a document could let hackers take over. |
| CVE-2025-53770 & 53771 (SharePoint) | Jul 2025 | SharePoint server flaw that attackers were already using to break in remotely. |
| CVE-2025-53779 (Kerberos) | Aug 12 2025 | A login system bug that let hackers gain admin rights without a password. |
| CVE-2025-53767 (Azure OpenAI) | Aug 12 2025 | A flaw in Microsoft’s cloud AI service that exposed sensitive data. |
| CVE-2025-50165 (Graphics Component) | Aug 12 2025 | Viewing a malicious image could give hackers control of your PC. |
| CVE-2025-53766, 50171, 53792 | Aug 12 2025 | Other critical bugs that let hackers break in just by opening harmful files. |
Past vulnerabilities in Microsoft Word
Over the past decade, Microsoft Office has seen a number of high-profile vulnerabilities. One of the most notable was a flaw in Microsoft Word 2002-2010 that allowed remote code execution simply by opening or previewing a malicious RTF email in Outlook, which was eventually patched in November 2011. Since then, more than 200 critical vulnerabilities have been identified and addressed across all Word versions, including Office 365 apps. A more recent example is the March 8, 2022 update (KB5002139), which fixed another serious security issue. These cases demonstrate that even widely used and trusted applications can contain exploitable flaws, and the only reliable defense is keeping systems fully updated through Windows Update or manual patch installation.
Apple Mac security patches
Apple devices, while often perceived as more secure, are not immune to serious vulnerabilities. Over the past decade, macOS has received regular critical security updates to address flaws that could allow attackers to bypass protections, steal data, or execute malicious code. Notable examples include the “Rootpipe” privilege escalation bug, the “goto fail” SSL/TLS flaw, and repeated zero-days in Safari’s WebKit engine that enabled drive-by attacks simply by visiting a compromised website. More recently, Apple has issued rapid security responses for macOS Ventura, Sonoma, and iOS to close actively exploited zero-days. These incidents show that Macs face the same level of risk as Windows systems if left unpatched. The only effective safeguard is to apply Apple’s software updates promptly, either automatically or as soon as they are released.
Here is a table highlighting some of the most notable Mac security updates from the last decade
| Patch / CVE identifier | Date | What the patch fixed |
|---|---|---|
| "goto fail" SSL/TLS bug | Feb 2014 | A flaw in Apple’s SSL verification let attackers intercept supposedly secure connections. |
| Rootpipe privilege escalation | Apr 2015 | A bug that allowed attackers to gain full admin rights on macOS without a password. |
| CVE-2019-8656 (WebKit) | Jul 2019 | A Safari flaw where visiting a malicious site could let attackers run code on your Mac. |
| CVE-2021-30860 (FORCEDENTRY) | Sep 2021 | A zero-click iMessage exploit used to install spyware like Pegasus without user action. |
| CVE-2022-22674 & CVE-2022-22675 | Apr 2022 | Kernel and GPU driver flaws that allowed apps to execute code with kernel privileges. |
| CVE-2023-32409 (WebKit) | May 2023 | WebKit bug actively exploited; a malicious website could break out of Safari sandbox. |
| CVE-2024-23222 (WebKit) | Jan 2024 | Another Safari flaw used in the wild where viewing a webpage could let hackers run code. |
| CVE-2024-41050 (Kernel zero-day) | Aug 2024 | A kernel bug under active attack that let malware gain deep system access. |
| Rapid Security Responses (macOS Ventura/Sonoma) | 2023-2025 | Apple’s emergency updates to quickly fix actively exploited flaws without full OS updates. |
Windows over Mac security
Over 1,700 security patches have been released for Microsoft Windows (client and server) in the last decade (2015-2025). Microsoft publishes monthly security updates, typically 50-120+ vulnerabilities per month across Windows, Office, and related products. For Windows OS alone, counts vary, but Patch Tuesday reports show 500-900 Windows-specific CVEs patched between 2015 and 2024.
Over the last decade (2015-2025), macOS has received about 1,000-1,200 security patches across its versions (OS X El Capitan through macOS Sonoma and early Sequoia)
Conclusion
While macOS is often perceived as more secure, the evidence does not support this. Windows holds around 70 % of the desktop market while macOS accounts for only about 15 %. Despite this smaller user base, Apple releases hundreds of patches each year, often including multiple zero-days actively exploited in the wild. In relative terms, macOS requires just as many urgent fixes as Windows, and in some years more per user share. This shows that Macs are not inherently safer; they are simply targeted less often. From a security standpoint, keeping both Windows and macOS fully updated is equally critical.