Google: AI accelerates exploitation of known flaws, not zero-day discovery

Google Threat Intelligence Group reports monthly vulnerability discoveries doubled from 5,045 in January to 10,740 in August 2026, while in-the-wild exploitation rose from 10.5 to 18 cases per month. The growth is driven by n-day flaws, as AI speeds up patch and PoC analysis, while zero-day exploitation rose only from 8 to 11 per month.

• Monthly flaws found: 5,045 in January vs 10,740 in August 2026
• In-the-wild exploitation rose from 10.5 to 18 cases per month
• Zero-day exploitation: 8 per month in 2025 vs 11 in 2026
• 50% of AI-discovered flaws lead to RCE, versus 26% overall