All news with #microsoft tag

🔒 Microsoft outlines a multi-year plan to transition to post-quantum cryptography, stressing that preparation must begin now. The post highlights investments in both quantum research (including Majorana 1 and 4D geometric error correction) and cryptographic readiness, plus collaboration with standards bodies such as NIST and IETF. It describes tools like the Adams Bridge Accelerator, PQC previews, and the Quantum Safe Program with a phased roadmap targeting early adoption by 2029 and completion by 2033.

🔍 Microsoft Threat Intelligence details PipeMagic, a modular backdoor used by Storm-2460 that masquerades as an open-source ChatGPT Desktop Application. The malware is deployed via an in-memory MSBuild dropper and leverages named pipes and doubly linked lists to stage, self-update, and execute encrypted payload modules delivered from a TCP C2. Analysts observed exploitation of CVE-2025-29824 for privilege escalation followed by ransomware deployment, with victims across IT, finance, and real estate in multiple regions. The report includes selected IoCs, Defender detections, and mitigation guidance to help defenders detect and respond.

🔒 Microsoft Security invites CISOs, SecOps leads, identity architects, and cloud security engineers to Microsoft Ignite 2025 in San Francisco (Nov 17–21) and online (Nov 18–21) to explore secure AI adoption and modern SecOps. Register with RSVP code ATXTJ77W to access the half-day Microsoft Security Forum (Nov 17), hands-on labs, live demos, and one-on-one meetings with experts. Attendees can join networking events including the Secure the Night party, pursue onsite Microsoft Security certifications, and engage in roundtables focused on threat intelligence, regulatory insights, and protecting data, identities, and infrastructure.

🤖 Microsoft introduces the Agent Factory series to share best practices and design patterns for enterprise agentic AI that reasons, acts, and collaborates across workflows. The post outlines five core patterns—tool use, reflection, planning, multi-agent, and ReAct—and links them to real-world outcomes such as reduced proposal time and automated incident delivery. It stresses the need for a unified platform to manage security, identity, observability, and connectors. Azure AI Foundry is presented as a scalable end-to-end solution with flexible model choice, 1,400+ connectors, open protocols, and managed Entra Agent ID and RBAC.

🔒 Microsoft released fixes for more than 100 vulnerabilities in August 2025, including at least 13 rated Critical. Notable flaws include CVE-2025-53786, which lets attackers pivot from compromised on‑premises Exchange Server instances into cloud tenant services, and CVE-2025-53779 (BadSuccessor), a Kerberos dMSA weakness that can yield domain admin rights. Other high‑risk bugs affect GDI+, Word preview and NTLM; several fixes require configuration steps beyond patch installation.

⚠️ Microsoft released its August 2025 Patch Tuesday updates addressing 111 vulnerabilities, including 13 marked critical. The fixes span remote code execution, elevation-of-privilege and information-disclosure flaws across Windows, Hyper-V, Microsoft Office, GDI+ and cloud services. Microsoft reports no observed in-the-wild exploitation but notes several issues where exploitation is assessed as “more likely.” Talos is issuing Snort detection rules and urges administrators to apply vendor updates and intrusion-detection signatures promptly.

🛡️ Dow is integrating AI into enterprise security through a strategic partnership with Microsoft, deploying Security Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot within its Cyber Security Operations Center. A cross-functional responsible AI team established principles and acceptable-use policies while assessing new AI risks. AI-driven tools are used to detect phishing and BEC, automate repetitive tasks, enrich tickets with contextual intelligence, and accelerate incident response. Apprentices leverage Copilot as a virtual mentor, shortening ramp time and enabling senior analysts to focus on proactive defense.

🚀 Microsoft announced it was recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Container Management, reflecting the scope and customer impact of its container portfolio. Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Container Apps, and hybrid/multicloud capabilities with Azure Arc are highlighted for developer productivity, operational simplicity, and AI readiness. The company emphasized developer tooling like AKS Automatic (preview), Azure Developer CLI, and GitHub Copilot, plus integrated security through Microsoft Defender for Containers and Azure Policy. Customer examples such as ChatGPT, Telefônica Brasil, Coca‑Cola, Hexagon, and Delta Dental illustrate real-world outcomes.

🛡️ Microsoft’s August 2025 Patch Tuesday addresses 107 CVEs, including one publicly disclosed Windows Kerberos zero‑day (CVE-2025-53779) and 13 Critical flaws. Notable fixes cover high‑severity RCEs in the Windows Graphics Component and GDI+ and an NTLM elevation‑of‑privilege issue. Microsoft has released patches; organizations should apply updates promptly and use Falcon Exposure Management to prioritize and visualize exposure.

⚠️ CISA issued Emergency Directive 25-02 directing federal civilian agencies to immediately update and secure hybrid Microsoft Exchange environments to address a post-authentication privilege escalation vulnerability. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-53786, could allow an actor with administrative access on an Exchange server to escalate privileges and affect identities and administrative access in connected cloud services. CISA says it is not aware of active exploitation but mandates agencies implement vendor mitigation guidance and will monitor and support compliance. All organizations using hybrid Exchange configurations are urged to adopt the recommended mitigations.

🔐 Microsoft announced the launch of the Secure Future Initiative (SFI) patterns and practices, a new library of actionable implementation guidance distilled from the company’s internal security improvements. The initial release includes eight patterns addressing urgent risks such as phishing-resistant MFA, preventing identity lateral movement, removing legacy systems, standardizing secure CI/CD, creating production inventories, rapid anomaly detection and response, log retention standards, and accelerating vulnerability mitigation. Each pattern follows a consistent taxonomy—problem, solution, practical steps, and operational trade-offs—so organizations can adopt modular controls aligned to secure by design, by default, and in operations principles.

⚠️CISA issued an alert on a high-severity vulnerability affecting on-premise Microsoft Exchange servers disclosed today. The agency is actively monitoring and coordinating mitigation with Microsoft and government and industry partners to assess scope and impact. Organizations are strongly urged to implement Microsoft guidance immediately to reduce risk and protect critical infrastructure.

🔒 The Microsoft Bounty Program distributed $17 million this year to 344 security researchers across 59 countries, marking the largest total payout in the program’s history. In partnership with the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC), researchers helped identify and remediate more than a thousand potential vulnerabilities across Azure, Microsoft 365, Windows, and other Microsoft products and services. The program also expanded coverage and awards for Copilot, identity and Defender scopes, Dynamics 365 & Power Platform AI categories, and refreshed Windows attack scenario incentives to prioritize high-impact research.

🔒 Microsoft is relaunching Zero Day Quest with up to $5 million in total bounties for high-impact Cloud and AI security research. The Research Challenge runs 4 August–4 October 2025 and focuses on targeted scenarios across Azure, Copilot, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, Identity, and M365. Eligible critical findings receive a +50% bounty multiplier, and top contributors may be invited to an exclusive live hacking event at Microsoft’s Redmond campus in Spring 2026. Participants will have access to training from the AI Red Team, MSRC, and product teams, and Microsoft will support transparent, responsible disclosure.

🔒 Microsoft has expanded the .NET Bounty Program, increasing maximum awards to $40,000 and broadening coverage to include all supported .NET and ASP.NET versions, adjacent technologies like F#, templates, and GitHub Actions. The program simplifies award tiers, aligns impact categories with other Microsoft bounty programs, and defines report quality as complete (working exploit) or not complete, encouraging detailed, actionable submissions.

🛡️ Microsoft has updated the .NET Bounty Program, expanding scope and increasing maximum payouts to $40,000 for high-impact vulnerabilities. The program now covers all supported versions of .NET and ASP.NET (including Blazor and F#), repository templates, and GitHub Actions in .NET repositories. Awards are now tied to explicit severity and report quality criteria, with higher payments for complete, exploit-backed reports.

🛡️ ESET's research details active exploitation of two zero-day vulnerabilities—CVE-2025-53770 and CVE-2025-53771—against on-premises Microsoft SharePoint servers in a campaign dubbed ToolShell. The company reports global impact, with the United States responsible for 13.3% of observed attacks. Organizations should immediately prioritize patching affected servers, apply vendor mitigations, tighten access controls and monitoring, and review logs for indicators of compromise. Watch the accompanying video featuring ESET Chief Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe and consult the full blogpost for technical detail.

🏆 The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) announced its 2025 Most Valuable Researchers (MVRs), recognizing security researchers who submitted valid vulnerability reports under Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure. The Top 10 MVRs were ranked by total points earned for valid reports submitted between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, and MSRC also highlights annual Technical Leaderboards by product area such as Azure, Office, Windows, and Dynamics 365. Awardees receive digital badges and MSRC swag boxes, and badges recognize achievements for Accuracy, Impact, and Volume.

🏆 Congratulations to the researchers recognized on the MSRC 2025 Q2 Leaderboard. The top three overall are wkai, Brad Schlintz (nmdhkr), and 0x140ce, with category leaders across Azure, Office, Windows, and Dynamics. The leaderboard reflects assessments completed April 1–June 30, 2025, and includes cases submitted earlier but assessed in Q2. MSRC also notes that Researcher Recognition points are now visible in the researcher portal to improve transparency.

🔒 At 13, Dylan became the youngest researcher to collaborate with the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC), demonstrating notable technical skill, persistence, and professional communication. He progressed from Scratch to HTML and source-code analysis, discovering vulnerabilities in Teams and other services and reporting them responsibly. His findings influenced bug bounty terms to admit younger researchers while he continues to balance school, competitions, and extracurriculars.