What happened
Microsoft’s February 10, 2026 Patch Tuesday security update for Windows 11, particularly KB5077181 for versions 24H2 and 25H2 (OS builds 26100.7840 and 26200.7840), is being linked in multiple reports to critical system issues including infinite boot loops, login failures, and network connectivity problems shortly after installation.
Who is affected
Enterprises, IT teams, and individual users running Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2 who have deployed KB5077181 are reporting problems where devices either fail to complete startup or enter repeated restart cycles; affected machines also show errors like SENS service failures and DHCP network issues.
Why CISOs should care
This cumulative security update was distributed as mandatory and includes fixes for multiple vulnerabilities, yet the post-deploy instability risks operational continuity and could lead to significant downtime across Windows estates. Unlike typical Patch Tuesday releases, no official known-issues entry has been posted by Microsoft on this fault as of mid-February, placing the onus on security and IT leaders to monitor, mitigate, and coordinate rollout decisions carefully.
3 practical actions
- Assess impact before mass deployment: Delay or stagger deployment of KB5077181 in enterprise environments until official fixes or guidance are released.
- Monitor endpoints for boot loop symptoms: Configure alerting for repeated restart cycles, login failures, and DHCP loss; have rollback plans ready.
- Implement rollback and update controls: Use Windows Update policies or management tools to uninstall KB5077181 where critical failures occur and pause updates pending a corrected release from Microsoft.