Ethical Hacking News
Microsoft has released over 100 security patches for its Windows operating systems and other software as part of its latest Patch Tuesday update. The most dire of these threats includes vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malware or malcontents to gain remote access to a Windows system with little or no help from users.
Microsoft's Patch Tuesday update has fixed over 100 security flaws, including at least 13 critical vulnerabilities. A vulnerability in Microsoft Exchange Server (CVE-2025-53786) can allow attackers to pivot from on-premise to cloud environments, potentially gaining control over related services. Approximately 29,000 public-facing Exchange servers are vulnerable to this issue, and many likely have older vulnerabilities making them prime targets for attackers. A critical flaw in the Windows Kerberos authentication system (CVE-2025-53779) allows unauthenticated attackers to gain domain administrator privileges. The Windows GDI+ component is vulnerable to remote code execution (CVE-2025-53766), and Microsoft Word has a vulnerability that can be exploited without user interaction. A bug in Windows NTLM (CVE-2025-53778) allows attackers with low-level network access and basic user privileges to elevate to SYSTEM-level access.
Microsoft's bi-monthly Patch Tuesday update has once again delivered a slew of security patches to its Windows operating systems and other software. This month's batch includes fixes for over 100 security flaws, with no less than 13 vulnerabilities receiving Microsoft's highest "critical" rating.
The most dire of these threats is CVE-2025-53786, a vulnerability that allows an attacker to pivot from a compromised Microsoft Exchange Server directly into an organization's cloud environment, potentially gaining control over Exchange Online and other connected Microsoft Office 365 services. This bug affects Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2019, as well as the flagship Exchange Server Subscription Edition.
According to Ben McCarthy, lead cybersecurity engineer at Immersive, a rough search reveals approximately 29,000 Exchange servers publicly facing on the internet that are vulnerable to this issue. Many of these servers likely have even older vulnerabilities, making them prime targets for attackers.
"In effect, this vulnerability turns a significant on-premise Exchange breach into a full-blown, difficult-to-detect cloud compromise with effectively living off the land techniques which are always harder to detect for defensive teams," McCarthy said.
Other critical flaws addressed this month include CVE-2025-53779, a weakness in the Windows Kerberos authentication system that allows an unauthenticated attacker to gain domain administrator privileges. This bug exploits a weakness in "delegated Managed Service Account" or dMSA – a feature introduced in Windows Server 2025.
The Windows GDI+ component, which handles graphics rendering, is also vulnerable to remote code execution (CVE-2025-53766). Another critical patch involves CVE-2025-50165, another graphics rendering weakness. Microsoft Word is also affected by CVE-2025-53733, a vulnerability that can be exploited without user interaction and triggered through the Preview Pane.
A final critical bug tackled this month deserves attention: CVE-2025-53778, a bug in Windows NTLM, a core function of how Windows systems handle network authentication. According to Microsoft, the flaw could allow an attacker with low-level network access and basic user privileges to exploit NTLM and elevate to SYSTEM-level access – the highest level of privilege in Windows.
Microsoft rates the exploitation of this bug as "more likely," although there is no evidence that the vulnerability is being exploited at the moment. The company has provided instructions for installing a fix, which requires more than just patching – it involves creating a dedicated service to oversee and lock down the hybrid connection.
As with previous Patch Tuesdays, Microsoft recommends that users take this opportunity to update their systems and ensure they have the latest security patches installed. This includes applying all available updates for Windows 10, as well as any other affected software.
In related news, Microsoft has announced plans to stop shipping free security updates for Windows 10 computers after the Patch Tuesday on October 14, 2025. This move is intended to encourage users to upgrade to Windows 11, which will receive ongoing support and security patches.
For those who do not meet the hardware specifications required to install Windows 11, Microsoft recommends considering alternative options, such as installing a newbie-friendly version of Linux, like Linux Mint. Linux Mint can run on almost any computer produced in the last decade, and offers a user-friendly interface and compatibility with popular software applications like LibreOffice.
If you're interested in giving Linux a test drive before installing it on your Windows PC, you can download it to a removable USB drive and boot from it. This will allow you to experience the operating system without making any permanent changes.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Microsoft-Patch-Tuesday-August-2025-Edition-A-Comprehensive-Look-at-the-Latest-Security-Updates-ehn.shtml
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/08/microsoft-patch-tuesday-august-2025-edition/
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53786
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2025-53786/
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53779
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2025-53779/
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53766
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2025-53766/
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-50165
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2025-50165/
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53733
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2025-53733/
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53778
https://www.cvedetails.com/cve/CVE-2025-53778/
Published: Tue Aug 12 18:13:04 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
