Windows 11 users report missing Microsoft Paint security patch

Microsoft lists a fix for a remote code execution flaw in Paint, but Windows 11 users and administrators say the Microsoft Store has continued to offer older versions of the app.

Microsoft disclosed the flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-83844, on October 13 as part of its monthly security updates. The company rated it Important, one tier below Critical, with a severity score of 8.1 out of 10.

The bug causes Paint to read beyond the memory it was supposed to access. According to Microsoft, an attacker could send a specially crafted network packet to an affected service and run code without signing in or requiring the user to take any action. Microsoft rated the attack complexity as high and reported no known exploitation at the time of disclosure.

Paint receives app updates through the Microsoft Store, separately from Windows Update. A PC can therefore have the October Windows update installed and still be running an older copy of Paint.

The version number has also changed. A November 2 copy of Microsoft’s security update data listed 11.2609.401.0 as the fixed build, replacing 11.2605.91.0, Root Access Guy reported. Microsoft’s CVE record still lists the earlier build as the cutoff for affected versions.

Users on Microsoft Q&A say Paint remained on older builds even after they checked for updates manually. It remains unclear how widely the newer build is available through the Store.

How to check your Paint version

Open Paint’s settings and look for the version number. You can also run this command in PowerShell to check the installed package for your Windows account:

Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.Paint | Select-Object Name, Version

Check the Microsoft Store for Paint updates, then compare the installed version with 11.2609.401.0, the fixed build listed in the newer security update data.