Zero-Day Dominance: Unpacking the February 2026 Patch Tuesday Insights from Krebs on Security
IT administrators faced a rough February 2026. Krebs on Security reports that Microsoft pushed fixes for more than 50 security defects in its latest Patch Tuesday cycle. Six of those flaws already saw active exploitation before Microsoft released patches. That timing matters.
Among the disclosed issues, CVE-2026-21510 stands out. Krebs on Security describes it as a Windows Shell security feature bypass that lets an attacker execute arbitrary code after a user clicks a crafted link. One click, that is all it takes. We think this case shows how even mature operating systems still crack under focused exploitation, especially when social engineering does the heavy lifting.
Krebs on Security also identified a severe elevation of privilege bug in Windows Remote Desktop Services. A local attacker who exploits this weakness can obtain SYSTEM-level control. Full machine ownership follows. No theatrics, just command authority at the highest level.
The aggregate volume of critical patches this month signals sustained pressure on enterprise environments. According to our analysts, organizations must treat patch management as continuous risk control, not a periodic chore. The so-called coming storm of cybercrime does not sit on the horizon. It has already landed, and it tests every unpatched endpoint.
