The Microsoft February 2026 Patch Tuesday addresses six zero-day vulnerabilities that Microsoft categorized before release as either already exploited or publicly disclosed. For IT and security teams, this is a clear signal to accelerate rollout, because the affected bug classes in Windows and Office environments often enable exactly the steps attackers need to establish and maintain reliable access.
Microsoft February 2026 Patch Tuesday at a glance
Microsoft ships cumulative updates on its Patch Tuesday cadence to remediate security vulnerabilities in Windows and related components. In February 2026, the standout aspect is the mix of six zero-days. Three entries are security feature bypasses, two are elevation-of-privilege vulnerabilities, and one is a local denial-of-service. This combination matters operationally because security feature bypasses often undermine protection layers in end-user workflows, while elevation of privilege is typically used after an initial foothold to increase permissions and take fuller control of the host.
The key prioritization factor is less how many fixes are included in a given month and more which attack surfaces sit on common enterprise paths. When zero-days are involved, patching should remain part of the standard change process but be pulled forward in time. This is especially important for devices and roles that process user-supplied content or host privileged sessions.
and the 6 zero-day CVEs
The six zero-day CVEs in the February release affect several core areas. At a high level, they involve Windows Shell, the MSHTML framework, Microsoft Word, Desktop Window Manager, Windows Remote Desktop Services, and the Remote Access Connection Manager. In many environments, at least one of these areas is highly exposed, either through user interaction, remote workflows, or administrative operating models.
- CVE-2026-21510, Windows Shell, Security Feature Bypass
- CVE-2026-21513, MSHTML Framework, Security Feature Bypass
- CVE-2026-21514, Microsoft Word, Security Feature Bypass
- CVE-2026-21519, Desktop Window Manager, Elevation of Privilege
- CVE-2026-21533, Windows Remote Desktop Services, Elevation of Privilege
- CVE-2026-21525, Windows Remote Access Connection Manager, Denial of Service
For practical assessment, the impact of each category matters. A security feature bypass reduces the effectiveness of existing protections that act as “seatbelts” in everyday workflows. An elevation-of-privilege issue is often the step attackers use after initial access to expand control. A local denial-of-service can affect availability and, in some cases, serve as a disruption or diversion mechanism, for example when stable remote-access functionality is required.
Microsoft February 2026 Patch Tuesday and security feature bypasses in Windows and Office
The three security feature bypasses affect components that are closely tied to user interaction in many environments. CVE-2026-21510 in Windows Shell is especially relevant wherever users frequently work with files, links, and shortcuts. CVE-2026-21513 in the MSHTML framework affects an area that can still matter in certain rendering or compatibility contexts. CVE-2026-21514 in Microsoft Word targets an attack surface that is constantly present in enterprises, because Office documents are routine across email, collaboration platforms, and file shares.
For CVE-2026-21514, the risk class is clearly described as bypassing a security decision, which is relevant for common Office attack patterns where the effectiveness of protections in document workflows is critical.
Microsoft February 2026 Patch Tuesday and privilege escalation in Windows
Elevation-of-privilege vulnerabilities are rarely the first entry point, but they are a strong multiplier once an attacker already has code execution in a user context. CVE-2026-21519 in Desktop Window Manager is a typical example, because a successful jump to higher privileges significantly expands options for persistence, credential access, and lateral movement. In environments with a homogeneous client fleet or in VDI pools, a single reliable escalation path can lead to fast, wide-scale impact.
The technical classification of CVE-2026-21519, including the linkage maintained by authorities to known exploitation signals, is available on the NVD page for CVE-2026-21519. For security teams, this means systems with high privilege concentration and dense session activity should be patched early in the rollout wave.
and RasMan DoS in remote-access environments
CVE-2026-21525 affects the Windows Remote Access Connection Manager (RasMan). This is not a Remote Desktop session manager; it is the service responsible for remote-access connections such as dial-up and VPN. If you want to validate the role of the service in Windows and understand security-relevant operational considerations, the service description is documented in the Windows services security guidance for Remote Access Connection Manager on Microsoft Learn. Operationally, the DoS case is most relevant where remote-access functionality is business-critical or where stability in remote workflows is tightly tied to IT service availability.
How to prioritize Microsoft February 2026 Patch Tuesday effectively
For an effective rollout, a phased strategy that combines exposure and blast radius works best. The first wave should cover systems where a successful attack would have the greatest impact or where attack surfaces are used most frequently. This typically includes administrative workstations, jump hosts, shared systems, VDI pools, and Remote Desktop hosts and terminal servers. Endpoints that process large volumes of Office documents and regularly receive external content should also be high priority.
The second wave can cover standard clients and servers without special exposure, provided they are not used for privileged tasks. Systems with tight change windows should not be deferred without compensating controls to bridge the time to patching. These include stricter rules for risky file types, reduced attack surface in Office workflows, stronger hardening for privileged accounts, and closer monitoring of process chains that are typical for initial execution followed by privilege escalation.
Conclusion
The Microsoft February 2026 Patch Tuesday is a high-urgency release because of the six zero-day CVEs. The affected categories align with common enterprise attack paths, from bypassing protections in end-user workflows to local privilege escalation. Focusing rollout waves on the most exposed roles and closing compliance there first reduces risk fastest and with the greatest effect.
