CVE-2025-60724 is the headline grabber this month: a critical severity, exploited-in-the-wild zero-day vulnerability that, according to Microsoft, affects nearly every asset running its software. This means that whether you’re running Windows Server, a desktop OS, or even certain embedded systems, you could be at risk.
The vulnerability lies in a heap-based buffer overflow ( CWE-122 ), a classic coding error that’s been around for decades. As a 1972 paper presciently noted, these kinds of flaws can allow attackers to overwrite critical program data.
Attackers could exploit this by delivering a malicious document to a vulnerable web service. Successful exploitation could lead to remote code execution as SYSTEM, granting an attacker complete control over the compromised system without requiring any prior foothold.
Another critical vulnerability, CVE-2025-62199, resides within Microsoft Office. This RCE flaw is triggered when a user downloads and opens a specially crafted malicious file. The scary part? The Preview Pane in Outlook is a viable attack vector.
This means simply scrolling through your emails could be enough to trigger the exploit, bypassing the usual warnings about enabling dangerous content. This significantly increases the likelihood of real-world exploitation.
Not all attacks are straightforward. CVE-2025-62214, a critical RCE in Visual Studio, demands a more intricate approach. It requires attackers to execute a multi-stage attack leveraging the Visual Studio Copilot extension.
This includes prompt injection, agent interaction, and triggering a build. While the advisory doesn’t explicitly state the context of code execution, it hints at the possibility of elevated privileges or compromised build artifacts, making it a potentially serious threat for development environments.
SQL Server administrators should pay close attention to CVE-2025-59499, an elevation of privilege (EoP) vulnerability. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to run arbitrary Transact-SQL (T-SQL) commands.
While the default SQL Server configuration disables direct OS call-outs, attackers often find alternative routes. The safest assumption is that exploitation will lead to code execution within the context of SQL Server itself. Patches are available for all supported SQL Server versions.
October 2025 brought significant lifecycle changes, and this month sees the end of support for Windows 11 Home and Pro 23H2. This won’t affect most users, but some older CPUs may not be compatible with Windows 11 24H2 due to its requirement for newer CPU instruction sets.
Microsoft provides lists of compatible Intel , AMD , and Qualcomm CPU series.
This November’s Patch Tuesday underscores the importance of timely patching and a layered security approach. While the number of vulnerabilities may be lower this month, the severity of the zero-day exploit demands immediate action. Staying informed and proactive remains the best defense in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape.
