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Why You Must Update Word Now: A Simple Guide to February 2026 Security Fixes
Critical Security Advisory: Microsoft Office Updates (February 2026)
Microsoft released crucial security updates for the Office suite on February 10, 2026. This Patch Tuesday addresses severe vulnerabilities that could compromise your system. You should review these changes immediately to secure your environment.
Urgent Action Required: The Word Vulnerability
Your primary concern this month is a critical security flaw in Microsoft Word. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to bypass OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) mitigations. These mitigations normally block dangerous controls within documents.
- The Threat: An attacker sends a malicious file. If you open it, the exploit bypasses safety checks.
- The Good News: This specific flaw does not trigger through the Outlook Preview Pane. You must actively open the file to trigger the exploit.
Legacy Support: Office 2016 and 2019
Although Microsoft Office 2016 and 2019 have officially reached their end-of-support lifecycle, Microsoft made an exception this month. They released standalone security patches to close specific gaps.
For Office 2016 Users:
You need to install the following updates manually if you use the MSI (Windows Installer) version.
Advisor Note: If you plan to keep using these older versions safely after October 2025, you should investigate third-party security micro-patching solutions like 0patch to maintain defense.
Modern Office Versions (Click-to-Run)
Users on Office 2019, 2021, 2024, and Microsoft 365 do not need manual MSI patches. Your software updates automatically through the “Click-to-Run” mechanism. You verify your protection by checking your build number against this list:
- Current Channel: Version 2601 (Build 19628.20204)
- Monthly Enterprise: Version 2512 (Build 19530.20226)
- Semi-Annual Enterprise: Version 2508 (Build 19127.20532)
- Office 2024 Retail: Version 2601 (Build 19628.20204)
If your build number matches or exceeds these figures, your system already contains the necessary security fixes.
Administrators managing on-premise servers must apply these patches to prevent server-side compromises.
- SharePoint Server Subscription Edition: KB5002833
- SharePoint Server 2019: KB5002834 (Core), KB5002836 (Language Pack)
- SharePoint Server 2016: KB5002841 (Enterprise), KB5002840 (Language Pack)
- Office Online Server: KB5002835
Workflow Manager Note: Microsoft listed update KB5002814 for SharePoint Workflow Manager. However, no corresponding support article currently exists for this specific patch. You should monitor the official catalog for documentation updates regarding this file.