✅ What We’ll Cover in This Article
- The September 2025 Patch Tuesday highlights—and why certain vulnerabilities stand out.
- Why IT leaders can’t afford to delay patch cycles.
- Real-world risks of delaying updates (with examples of active exploits).
- Practical steps to keep patching consistent without overwhelming your team.
- Doceo Pro Tips for balancing speed and stability.
Why this question matters
If you’re an IT Manager or Director, you’re constantly caught between two pressures: business leaders want stability and uptime, while security experts warn that every day without a patch is a gamble. The September Patch Tuesday made the stakes crystal clear. Several flaws are already being exploited in the wild, and regulators are mandating immediate action.
So, let’s break down what happened, why it matters, and what steps you can take to reduce exposure without grinding operations to a halt.
What stood out in September’s Patch Tuesday?
Microsoft, Adobe, and others released fixes for dozens of vulnerabilities this month. A few stand out because of severity, active exploitation, or regulator attention:
- Adobe Commerce (CVE-2025-54236, CVSS 9.1): A flaw that can be exploited remotely to compromise e-commerce platforms.
- Sitecore (CVE-2025-53690, CVSS 9.0): A deserialization bug that CISA has ordered patched immediately. This one has been actively exploited since late 2024.
- SAP NetWeaver (CVE-2025-42944, CVSS 10.0): Enables OS-level command execution—essentially giving attackers a system-wide door.
- WinRAR (CVE-2025-8088): A path traversal issue leveraged in real-world phishing campaigns to plant malware.
- Exchange Server (CVE-2025-53786): A new RCE variant demonstrated at Black Hat 2025, proving that old platforms are still prime targets.
💡 Doceo Pro Tip: When CISA issues a binding directive—as with the Sitecore flaw—that’s a sign it’s not just “important.” It’s urgent.
Why does urgency matter with patching?
Two reasons:
- Exploit windows are shrinking. Recent research shows that attackers begin weaponizing new vulnerabilities within days, sometimes hours, of public disclosure.
- Zero-day market growth. A zero-click Windows exploit reportedly sold for $25,000 this summer. That’s relatively cheap, which means more attackers can afford it
Delaying a patch by even a week can mean exposure to ransomware, data theft, or regulatory penalties.
What happens if you delay patches? (A quick scenario)
Let’s say your team delays patching Exchange Server for 30 days to avoid downtime during a quarter-end close. Here’s what could happen:
- Exploit window: Proof-of-concept code is already online. Attackers use automated scanners to find unpatched servers within 48 hours.
- Incident risk: A backdoor is planted, giving persistent access.
- Cost impact: If the server is down for 12 hours, and 250 users depend on it, at an average $75/hour loaded cost, that’s:12 × 250 × $75 = $225,000 in lost productivity—before you even factor in recovery and reputation costs.
📊 ROI Snapshot: Patch testing and deployment may cost ~40 staff hours in total. Compare that ~$3,000 of IT labor against the six-figure risk of a single outage.
How can you keep patching practical?
You don’t need to choose between “patch instantly” and “wait until it’s too late.” A structured process makes it manageable:
- Prioritize by severity + exploit status. Focus first on CISA-listed or CVSS 9.0+ flaws with known exploitation.
- Segment your environment. Test patches on non-critical systems before rolling broadly.
- Automate where possible. Endpoint detection and response (EDR) platforms can accelerate patch coverage.
- Document patch cadence. Reports give leadership confidence and help with cyber insurance compliance.
- Schedule emergency exceptions. Define how you’ll handle truly urgent zero-days without waiting for the next cycle.
💡 Doceo Pro Tip: Pair patching with multi-factor authentication (MFA) and reliable backup & disaster recovery (BDR). Even if a flaw is exploited, these controls drastically reduce impact .
FAQs about patching urgency
Which security controls matter most for SMBs right now?
MFA, EDR with managed detection & response (MDR), patching, backups with test restores, phishing training, and least-privilege access .
What does patch management actually include?
It’s the process of keeping operating systems, applications, and firmware up to date—reducing vulnerabilities and outages .
How do I explain patch urgency to non-technical leaders?
Use simple math (like the $225,000 downtime example above) to show risk vs investment. CFOs and CEOs respond well to clear cost comparisons .
Can patches break things?
Yes, which is why controlled pilots and rollback plans are critical. The goal is to minimize disruption while closing security gaps fast.
Where do patching and backups overlap?
Patches reduce the chance of compromise. Backups ensure you can recover if compromise still occurs. Both are mandatory for resilience.
👋 Have questions or want to talk through your options?
At Doceo, our dedicated IT Solutions Advisors provide clear guidance and help you build the right support model so critical patches aren’t missed.
Schedule a complimentary IT consultation today—we’re here to help.
