Patch Tuesday, October 2025 ‘End of 10’ Edition
Microsoft released fixes for 172 CVEs, including two zero-days under active exploitation: CVE-2025-24990 (Agere Modem driver removal due to exploitation) and CVE-2025-59230 (RasMan elevation-of-privilege). A critical WSUS RCE (CVE-2025-59287, 9.8) is rated ‘exploitation more likely’ and warrants immediate action. This Patch Tuesday also marks end-of-support for Windows 10 and other legacy products, increasing exposure for organizations that delay migration or ESU enrollment. Office Preview Pane RCEs (CVE-2025-59227/59234) enable no-click code execution upon preview, emphasizing mail gateway hardening and user isolation. Given the breadth of core platform and management plane fixes, enterprises should expedite patching with staged rollouts, increase telemetry around RasMan, WSUS, and Office file preview events, and accelerate decommissioning of end-of-life systems.
CORTEX Protocol Intelligence Assessment
{"Business Impact":"Lag in patching or reliance on EoL systems increases breach likelihood and compliance risk.","Technical Context":"Zero-days in RasMan and legacy driver; WSUS deserialization RCE exposes update infrastructure."}
Strategic Intelligence Guidance
- Prioritize WSUS (CVE-2025-59287) and RasMan (CVE-2025-59230) remediation; disable unnecessary services.
- Enroll remaining Windows 10 in ESU or migrate OS; harden mail preview channels.
- Monitor EDR/SIEM for RasMan anomalies and WSUS tampering indicators.
- Apply compensating controls for legacy systems pending replacement.
CVEs
Vendors
Targets
Impact
Financial:172 CVEs
Intelligence Source: Patch Tuesday, October 2025 ‘End of 10’ Edition | Oct 15, 2025