Patch windows collapse as time-to-exploit accelerates

Key Points:

• The time between vulnerability disclosure and exploitation has significantly decreased, with confirmed exploitation of high- and critical-severity vulnerabilities increasing by 105% in 2025.
• This trend impacts all enterprise software, as attackers can exploit known vulnerabilities faster due to improved automation and AI tools, leading to a "collapsed patch window."
• Organizations are advised to adopt secure-by-design practices and enhance pre-release testing to mitigate the risks associated with rapid exploitation.

Technical Details: The median time from vulnerability publication to inclusion in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list has dropped from 8.5 days to 5.0 days. The mean time-to-exploit has also decreased from 61.0 days to 28.5 days, highlighting the urgency for timely patching.

MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: None mentioned

IOCs Mentioned: None mentioned