Microsoft Reports 78% of Exploited Vulnerabilities Allow System Takeover

• •78% of exploited vulnerabilities allow system takeover or privilege escalation.
• •Microsoft analyzed 383,000 vulnerabilities, identifying 2,056 CVEs linked to exploitation.
• •Vulnerability management should prioritize flaws based on real-world exploitation.

Microsoft's recent analysis of 383,000 disclosed vulnerabilities reveals that 78% of those exploited in real-world attacks enable system takeover or privilege escalation. The study, published on November 2, 2026, identifies 2,056 CVEs linked to actual exploitation, representing about 0.5% of the total vulnerabilities. This highlights the need for vulnerability management to focus on flaws that attackers actively exploit rather than just their severity scores. The findings emphasize the ongoing challenge of managing software vulnerabilities and the importance of prioritizing those that pose the greatest risk to systems.