October 2026 Patch Tuesday forecast: Time for an Office cleanup

September 2026 Patch Tuesday set a record with 973 CVEs fixed across Microsoft's portfolio, though only two were known exploited. October's release will include the final updates for Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro, the end of ESU for Server 2012/2012 R2 and Exchange 2016/2019, plus fixes for Excel and Windows Backup bugs from September.

• September Patch Tuesday fixed a record 973 CVEs across Microsoft products
• Only CVE-2026-85880 and CVE-2026-81963 were known exploited
• October brings the final updates for Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro
• ESU ends for Server 2012/2012 R2 and Exchange 2016/2019