🛠️ Critical Patches Executives Should Ask About This Month and Why

CEO's, COO's, and VP's, don't lose jobs over server configurations. They lose jobs over business disruptions that could have been prevented. Business continuity isn't optional. It's survival. And some months, like this one, it's downright urgent.

In July 2025, critical vulnerabilities were discovered in systems most organizations rely on: Microsoft Windows and SAP. These aren't obscure systems hidden in the back-end. These are the platforms powering your daily operations, authentication processes, and enterprise resource planning.

With over 20,000 vulnerabilities disclosed in 2025, a 16% increase from last year. The threat landscape is accelerating. But this month's discoveries stand out for their severity and potential business impact. If they're not patched, the business risks are immediate, far-reaching, and potentially catastrophic.

This post breaks down what senior leaders should know about this month's high-priority patches and what questions to ask your IT or security team today.

🏗️ Patch Management 101: Why Software Updates Are Like Building Maintenance

Think of your IT infrastructure like a large office building. Just as buildings need regular maintenance fixing broken locks, updating fire safety systems, replacing worn-out parts. Your software needs regular maintenance "patches" to fix security flaws and keep everything running safely.

What are CVEs? Think of them like recall notices for cars. When Toyota discovers a brake problem that could cause accidents, they issue a recall with a tracking number. CVEs (Common Vulnerability and Exposures) work the same way. They're official notices with tracking numbers when security researchers discover "defects" in software that hackers could exploit.

Why is patching as critical as operations? Imagine if your building's security system had a known flaw that let anyone walk through the front door, but you decided to "fix it next quarter" because you were busy with other projects. That's essentially what happens when organizations delay security patches. The longer you wait, the more likely someone with bad intentions will walk right in.

This Month's Two Critical "Recalls":

1. The Windows Vulnerability (CVE-2025-47981) is like discovering your building's master key system is broken and the problem can spread from one lock to every lock in the building automatically, without anyone even touching them. Once one "lock" is compromised, the malfunction spreads throughout your entire facility.
   

2. The SAP Vulnerabilities are like someone finding a way to walk into your company's main vault (where you keep financial records, customer data, and business secrets) and having complete access to everything inside. SAP is the "vault" where most large companies store their most critical business information.
   

Both of these problems have "master keys" available to criminals right now which is why this month's patches aren't just important, they're urgent.

🧨 1. A Wormable Microsoft Windows Flaw (CVE-2025-47981)

Severity: 9.8 out of 10 (Critical) Type: Remote Code Execution (RCE) What makes it dangerous? It's wormable. This means it can spread across your network without any human interaction just like the malware behind the devastating NotPetya incident in 2017 that caused billions in global damages. Where it lives: In Microsoft's SPNEGO security mechanism, used during system authentication.Timeline: Microsoft expects attacks to begin within 30 days of disclosure.

💼 Business Impact:

• Company-wide shutdown: Like a power outage that spreads from one building to your entire campus. This could take down every department from manufacturing floors to sales systems within minutes.

• Revenue halt: Employees can't log in, customers can't place orders, production lines stop, and your call center goes dark. Think complete business standstill, not just "IT issues."

• Executive accountability: SEC filings, board explanations, and potential personal liability. Major breaches have forced CEO resignations and cost companies hundreds of millions in damages and lawsuits.
  

🧠 Executive Questions to Ask:

• Are all Windows systems fully patched as of the July 2025 Patch Tuesday?

• How quickly are we able to deploy critical security patches across our network?

• Do we have visibility into unpatched or unsupported systems that could become entry points?
  

🔓 2. SAP Vulnerabilities: ERP Systems at Risk (Multiple CVEs, CVSS 10.0)

Severity: Maximum CVSS score of 10.0 (as bad as it gets) What's affected? SAP S/4HANA, NetWeaver, Enterprise Portal, Live Auction Cockpit. The core infrastructure behind business operations. Key examples: Critical remote code execution and deserialization flaws that could allow complete system takeover.

💼 Business Impact:

• Financial blackout: Imagine losing access to all your accounting systems, payroll, invoicing, and financial reporting during quarter-end. You can't pay employees, bill customers, or close your books.
  

• Competitive intelligence theft: Customer lists, pricing strategies, supplier contracts, and trade secrets compromised. Everything that gives you market advantage could be copied and sold to competitors.
  

• Operational paralysis: Manufacturing can't access production schedules, sales can't check inventory, HR can't process new hires. Your entire business grinds to a halt until systems are rebuilt from scratch.
  

🧠 Executive Questions to Ask:

• Has the July 2025 SAP security patch been applied to all relevant systems?

• Are third-party vendors or hosting partners also patching SAP-related components?

• What is our recovery plan if our ERP system is compromised or taken offline?
  

🚨 Why This Isn't Just "An IT Problem"

Executives are increasingly held accountable for cyber incidents by regulators, shareholders, and customers. The SEC, DOJ, and global watchdogs now expect cyber risk to be treated as a board-level issue, especially when it involves core infrastructure.

These vulnerabilities don't require an advanced persistent threat or state-sponsored attacker. They're simple enough for ransomware gangs and amateur hackers to exploit, if you leave the door open.

🧭 What Leadership Should Do This Week

• Ask your CISO or IT team for a status update on July 2025 patches.

• Request a list of critical systems that were patched and any that weren't.

• Verify your patch management SLAs (e.g., how quickly critical patches must be applied).

• Encourage tabletop exercises simulating a Windows or SAP compromise.

  
  

🔐 Final Thought

You don't need to know the technical details of every vulnerability.

But you do need to know whether your business is exposed and what's being done to prevent the worst-case scenario.

When patching becomes a leadership priority, security moves faster — and smarter.

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