Infosec News Nuggets — August 12, 2026
Brief
Microsoft Plugs Nearly 400 Security Holes
August’s Patch Tuesday saw Microsoft fix 398 vulnerabilities across Windows and supported software, with 42 rated critical. The lone actively exploited zero-day, a privilege escalation flaw in the AFD. sys WinSock driver, gives attackers a path to SYSTEM control after gaining an initial low-privilege foothold.
Microsoft has attributed the swelling patch volumes to vulnerability discoveries increasingly aided by artificial intelligence, and researchers note that while AI is proving adept at finding flaws, generating reliable fixes for them remains a largely human-driven task.