How we got here
In the early days of software development, security was an afterthought. Protocols like HTTP, FTP, and Telnet were created with little to no safeguards, leaving the internet—and its users—wide open to exploitation. Initially, attacks were driven by curiosity or notoriety: defacing web pages, crashing servers, and stealing unreleased content. But as time went on, those motives turned criminal.
Hackers began exploiting vulnerabilities to steal sensitive data from email servers, databases, and financial systems. Tools like Metasploit—originally created to help security professionals—became a double-edged sword, enabling bad actors to find and exploit weaknesses before patches could be deployed. The cybersecurity landscape became a race against time.
As the most widely used operating system in the world, Microsoft quickly became a primary target. Its early products, like most software of that era, were built without security best practices in mind—making them particularly vulnerable.
This article explores how Microsoft’s vulnerability trends have evolved over the past decade and what those changes mean for the future of secure development.
Microsoft Vulnerabilities and Revenue Growth (2013–2023)
A Vulnerability Plateau Since 2020
Despite a growing code base, Microsoft has maintained a relatively stable number of reported vulnerabilities in recent years. While the total number of reported issues has remained steady since 2020, critical vulnerabilities have declined—a promising sign that Microsoft is improving its secure development lifecycle.
Measuring Progress Without Codebase Metrics
It’s logical to assume that more lines of code equal more potential vulnerabilities. However, because Microsoft doesn’t disclose the size of its codebase, analysts must look at alternative metrics—like revenue—as a proxy for growth.
Between 2020 and 2023, Microsoft’s annual revenue increased by 50%. Yet vulnerability counts stayed flat, and critical vulnerabilities dropped. This suggests that Microsoft has made measurable progress in integrating secure coding practices and proactive vulnerability management across its ecosystem.
Securing Legacy Code
One major challenge in vulnerability management is maintaining and securing legacy systems. Much of Microsoft’s older code was written long before today’s secure coding standards were developed. A prime example is the Windows Print Spooler, which has existed for over 20 years and continues to reveal new vulnerabilities.
Patching these systems requires careful updates that preserve functionality while minimizing risk—no small task for such deeply embedded components.
Avoiding Vulnerabilities in New Code
Modern developers are more security-conscious than ever. Awareness of risks like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and buffer overflows has improved, but writing secure code is still a complex task.
Take Microsoft Azure and Dynamics 365, which together generated over half of Microsoft’s revenue in 2022. That same year, they accounted for 70 newly reported vulnerabilities—underscoring the ongoing challenge of secure innovation at scale.
AI-assisted coding isn’t a silver bullet either. A Stanford study found that developers using AI tools to generate code are more likely to introduce security flaws. This underscores the importance of secure development training, code reviews, and manual oversight—regardless of how advanced your tools are.
Key Trends in Microsoft Security
Elevation of privilege has been the most commonly reported Microsoft vulnerability for the past four years. These flaws allow attackers to escalate permissions, often going unnoticed until a deeper breach occurs.
But the threat landscape is shifting. In January 2024, Russian hacking group Midnight Blizzard bypassed software defenses altogether by stealing credentials, compromising Microsoft’s test environments, and gaining access to sensitive source code. This was a sophisticated identity-based attack—not a software exploit.
Phishing and credential theft are now some of the most pervasive cybersecurity threats. Rather than hunting for code flaws, attackers often take the path of least resistance: tricking a user into revealing login details or exploiting weak authentication.
What You Can Do
Regardless of evolving tactics, vulnerability management remains essential to any cybersecurity program. Staying informed and responding quickly to new threats is your organization’s best defense.
Work With Experts to Stay Ahead of the Curve
IT Audit Labs helps businesses like yours strengthen cybersecurity posture through proactive vulnerability assessments, red team exercises, and penetration testing. Our team of ethical hackers, vulnerability analysts, and security architects can help you:
- Identify and prioritize security weaknesses
- Protect legacy systems and critical infrastructure
- Detect and remediate threats before attackers do
Don’t wait for a breach to test your defenses. Contact IT Audit Labs today to schedule a vulnerability assessment and build a more resilient future for your organization.
