February 2026 Patch Tuesday Forecast: Lots of OOB Love This Month

Why It Matters

These rapid OOB fixes and the NTLM phase‑out signal heightened security focus, forcing enterprises to accelerate remediation and audit legacy authentication. The breadth of February updates across major vendors underscores the need for coordinated patch management to avoid service disruptions.

Key Takeaways

• Microsoft releases three January OOB patches addressing critical bugs.
• NTLM disablement plan rolls out in three phases starting 2026.
• Active exploits target WinRAR CVE‑2025‑8088 and Notepad++ update hijack.
• February Patch Tuesday includes OS, Office, .NET, Adobe, Apple updates.
• Outlook Classic .pst issue fixed in January 24 OOB patch.

Pulse Analysis

January’s Patch Tuesday set a demanding pace for Microsoft, delivering 92 fixes for Windows 11/Server 2025 and 79 for Windows 10. The volume of out‑of‑band patches that followed—addressing remote‑desktop credential prompts, Outlook .pst cloud‑storage glitches, and a critical Office zero‑day—highlights the volatility of large‑scale update cycles. Enterprises that rely on Microsoft’s ecosystem must treat OOB releases as urgent, integrating them into existing change‑management workflows to prevent cascading failures.

The announced phased NTLM disablement marks a strategic shift toward modern authentication. By encouraging organizations to audit NTLM usage with Server 2025 and Windows 11 24H2 tools, Microsoft aims to eliminate the legacy protocol that attackers still exploit. Phase 2 will tighten Kerberos handling, while Phase 3 plans default NTLM deactivation, compelling IT teams to validate Kerberos readiness and update legacy applications. This roadmap not only reduces attack surface but also forces a broader migration to secure identity frameworks.

Beyond Microsoft, February’s Patch Tuesday will see a mosaic of updates: .NET Framework patches, Adobe Creative Cloud refreshes, Apple’s overdue OS and Safari release, and the rollout of Chrome 145 and Firefox 148. Simultaneously, active exploits in WinRAR (CVE‑2025‑8088) and a Notepad++ update hijack underscore the importance of timely third‑party patching. Security leaders should adopt a unified patch calendar, prioritize critical vulnerabilities, and verify post‑patch stability to avoid another out‑of‑band love fest. Coordinated testing and communication across vendors will be essential to maintain operational continuity during this busy patch window.