Record High Microsoft Vulnerabilities Reached in 2024

BeyondTrust's annual Microsoft Vulnerabilities Report for 2024 reveals a record 1,360 vulnerabilities, marking an 11% increase over the previous high in 2022. Elevation of Privilege vulnerabilities made up 40% of the total, highlighting attackers' focus on gaining unauthorized access, while Security Feature Bypass vulnerabilities surged by 60%. Despite the overall rise in vulnerabilities, critical vulnerabilities across the Microsoft ecosystem declined, suggesting Microsoft's security improvements are having a positive impact. Microsoft Edge saw a notable 17% increase in vulnerabilities, including nine critical ones, and vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office nearly doubled. The report emphasizes that while the total number of vulnerabilities is stabilizing, the complexity of securing expanding technology stacks, including cloud and AI services, continues to pose risks. Experts stress the importance of addressing privilege escalation paths and securing identities, in addition to patching, to reduce the attack surface.