Microsoft yesterday released the planned cumulative update for Windows 10 (KB5003173) that addresses 55 critical vulnerabilities. At first glance, this figure may seem quite large, but this is the easiest update since 2020. However, it fixes a number of serious issues that are present in Windows 10.

The most important of the 55 fixes is probably the fix for the HTTP protocol stack vulnerability CVE-2021-31166. Cases of its use by cybercriminals are currently unknown, but the problem is potentially very dangerous. The latest update also removes the CVE-2021-26419 vulnerability, which allows attackers to remotely run malicious code on a victim’s computer using Internet Explorer 11. To use it, a hacker only needs to convince a user to open a malicious website through a Microsoft browser.

The remaining 53 vulnerabilities are less widespread, but ignoring them can lead to unpleasant consequences. To avoid this, all users are advised to immediately install the latest update on their computers via Windows Update or manually download it from the Microsoft website.