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Microsoft has talked about the serious concerns about the new risks that may have already been exploited.
Microsoft has warned that Windows, Office, Azure and more are at risk.
The Indian government has issued a major security alert for Windows 11 and other Microsoft users this week. Microsoft Windows and Office among other products are facing another big security risk that has forced the Indian government to alert the users across the country. Windows is the popular OS used by millions for their PCs and laptops, while Office lets you use apps like Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
The latest concerning issue has been detailed by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team or CERT-In in January 2026, sharing some worrying details about the security risks that make millions of Windows PCs vulnerable to hacking attacks.
Microsoft Security Warning: What You Should Know
The CERT-In alert explains the security risks that are plaguing not just the Windows and Office users but other Microsoft products that are heavily relied on by businesses. “An information disclosure vulnerability (CVE-2026-20805) exists in the Windows Desktop Window Manager (DWM). An authenticated local attacker could exploit this vulnerability to gain access to sensitive information.”
The bigger concern regarding the issued alert is that Microsoft has mentioned, “this vulnerability (CVE-2026-20805) is being exploited in the wild. Users are advised to apply patches immediately.” This means that even the company is not sure about the extent of damage the security risk may have already inflicted, which is why it wants all Windows and Microsoft users to update their software and OS right away.
Microsoft Security Issue: Who Is At Risk?
The government alert also points out the Microsoft users who are at risk because of the latest issues:
- Microsoft Office
- Windows
- Extended Security Updates (ESU)
- Azure
- Developer Tools
- SQL Server
Windows, both latest and legacy versions are vulnerable to the security issues, which makes it critical that everyone using a Windows PC should install the latest patch at the earliest. You also have businesses targeted with products like Azure and dynamics also in the mix. And yes, like we said, Office has a wide suite of apps that are used by both personal and business users.
The agency also informs that Individuals and IT administrators, security teams responsible for maintaining and updating Microsoft products could be targeted with ransomware or cyber attacks.
So what can you do to protect your systems from the issues? Microsoft has already discovered the risks, and released the patches that will keep your machine safe. We suggest you go to settings, enable auto-update Windows and reboot the system to have the new version installed to keep your PC safe.
Delhi, India, India
January 16, 2026, 12:31 IST
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