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TECHx
16-04-2025
- Business
- TECHx
BeyondTrust Reports Record Number of Microsoft Vulnerabilities in 2024
BeyondTrust, a global cybersecurity company, has released its 2025 Microsoft Vulnerabilities Report. The report reveals that Microsoft Vulnerabilities reached a record high in 2024, with 1,360 issues reported. This marks an 11% increase from the previous record in 2022. Despite ongoing improvements in Microsoft's security architecture, attackers continue to exploit weaknesses. Most of these vulnerabilities involve privilege escalation and remote code execution. The report analyzes data from Microsoft's official security bulletins. It helps organizations understand trends, assess risks, and improve security practices within their Microsoft environments. Notably, Elevation of Privilege (EoP) vulnerabilities made up 40% of the total. There were 554 EoP issues reported. Additionally, Security Feature Bypass vulnerabilities rose by 60%, reaching 90 in 2024. Meanwhile, critical vulnerabilities across Microsoft products have declined. However, Microsoft Edge issues increased by 17%, totaling 292. Nine of those were critical. In comparison, there were zero critical Edge vulnerabilities in 2022. Windows had 587 reported vulnerabilities in 2024, with 33 classified as critical. Windows Server saw 684 vulnerabilities, 43 of which were critical. Microsoft Office also showed a spike, with 62 vulnerabilities—nearly double from the previous year. Azure and Dynamics 365 remained steady, with no major increase in reported flaws. Although the total number of Microsoft Vulnerabilities rose, the growth rate appears to be stabilizing. This suggests that security initiatives are having an effect. Still, the risks remain significant. The report also offers predictions. Unpatched systems are still easy targets. As Microsoft expands its cloud and AI services, new threats will emerge. Attackers are changing strategies. They are focusing more on identities and access privileges than traditional exploits. Relying only on patches is not enough. Patches can fail or create new issues. Therefore, layered defenses are essential. According to BeyondTrust, enforcing least privilege is still one of the most effective ways to reduce risk. Combining prevention with detection and response also strengthens protection. James Maude, Field CTO at BeyondTrust, said the data shows the threat landscape is evolving fast. He emphasized the importance of securing identities and reducing access to privileged systems. The Microsoft Vulnerabilities Report is a useful guide for security teams. It helps organizations prioritize efforts and stay ahead of modern cyber threats.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
12th Annual Edition of the BeyondTrust Microsoft Vulnerabilities Report Reveals Record-Breaking Year for Microsoft Vulnerabilities
Total vulnerabilities reached an all-time high of 1,360 in 2024, an 11% increase from the previous record of 1,292 in 2022 Elevation of Privilege (EoP) and Remote Code Execution (RCE)—primary goals of any threat actor looking to exploit a system—continue to dominate the vulnerability categories year-over-year ATLANTA, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BeyondTrust, the global cybersecurity leader protecting Paths to Privilege™, today released its annual Microsoft Vulnerabilities Report, revealing a record-breaking number of reported Microsoft vulnerabilities in 2024. Despite ongoing security improvements, attackers continue to exploit key weaknesses, particularly those related to privilege escalation and remote code execution. The 2025 report provides an in-depth analysis of data from security bulletins publicly issued by Microsoft throughout the previous year, providing valuable information about vulnerability trends and the evolving threat landscape to help organizations understand, identify, and address the risks within their Microsoft ecosystems. Key findings from the 2025 report include: A total of 1,360 Microsoft vulnerabilities were reported in 2024, marking an all-time high and an 11% increase over the previous record of 1,292 in 2022. Elevation of Privilege (EoP) vulnerabilities comprised 40% (554) of all reported vulnerabilities. Security Feature Bypass vulnerabilities surged by 60%, increasing from 56 in 2023 to 90 in 2024, increasing the pressure to reduce software vulnerabilities at the design stage through secure coding and threat modeling. Critical vulnerabilities across the Microsoft ecosystem continued to decline overall in 2024. Microsoft Edge vulnerabilities increased by 17% to 292 total vulnerabilities, including 9 critical vulnerabilities in 2024, compared to zero in 2022. Microsoft Azure and Dynamics 365 vulnerabilities plateaued in 2024. There were 587 Windows vulnerabilities in 2024; 33 were critical. Windows Server had 684 vulnerabilities in 2024; 43 were critical. Microsoft Office vulnerabilities nearly doubled from 2023, reaching 62 in 2024. Although the total number of vulnerabilities has risen, the longer-term trend shows the pace of growth appear is stabilizing. This, combined with the continued downward trend toward fewer critical vulnerabilities, suggests Microsoft's security initiatives and improvements in the security architecture of modern operating systems are paying off. However, while vulnerability growth appears steady, the report also highlights the complexity of securing today's vast and diverse ecosystems, where evolving technologies, features, and interdependencies continue to introduce risk. Key predictions and takeaways from this year's report include: Unpatched systems remain an easy target, opening the door for widespread exploitation. Microsoft's expanding tech stack, including cloud and AI services, will continue to introduce new attack surfaces. Novel vulnerabilities will emerge as attackers find new and creative ways to bypass defenses. Patches alone are insufficient—they can fail or introduce stability risks, underscoring the need for layered defenses. Threat actors are shifting tactics, increasingly targeting identities and privileges over traditional exploits. Despite the changing threat landscape, some security fundamentals remain unchanged: 1) Software vulnerabilities are as inevitable as death and taxes 2) Enforcing least privilege remains one of the most effective strategies to reduce risk—even against zero-days and reverse-engineered patches 3) Defense-in-depth strategies that combine prevention with detection and response offer the strongest protection—including against modern, identity-based threats. 'This year's data offers a clear reminder that the threat landscape isn't slowing down—it's rapidly evolving,' said James Maude, Field Chief Technology Officer at BeyondTrust. 'The sustained dominance of Elevation of Privilege vulnerabilities highlights how valuable privileges are to attackers and why they will continue to target identities with privileges to move laterally and gain access to critical systems. These trends reinforce the need for organizations to focus not just on patching, but on securing the underlying Paths to Privilege™ across their environments to reduce the attack surface of every identity and point of access.' The BeyondTrust Microsoft Vulnerabilities Report serves as a trusted resource for organizations to better understand the Microsoft vulnerability landscape, prioritize patching strategies, and strengthen their identity security posture against modern threats. Download the full 2025 Microsoft Vulnerabilities Report here. About BeyondTrust BeyondTrust is the global cybersecurity leader protecting Paths to Privilege™. Our identity-centric approach goes beyond securing privileges and access, empowering organizations with the most effective solution to manage the entire identity attack surface and neutralize threats, whether from external attacks or insiders. BeyondTrust is leading the charge in transforming identity security to prevent breaches and limit the blast radius of attacks, while creating a superior customer experience and operational efficiencies. We are trusted by 20,000 customers, including 75 of the Fortune 100, and our global ecosystem of partners. Learn more at Follow BeyondTrust:X: Blog: LinkedIn: Facebook: For BeyondTrust: Mike BradshawConnect Marketing for BeyondTrustP: (801) 373-7888E: mikeb@ in to access your portfolio
