Multiple outlets report that the US National Vulnerabilities Database (NVD) is recording a rapidly rising number of software and cybersecurity flaws in 2026. The NVD, which tracks publicly known security weaknesses, logs 45,207 vulnerabilities between the start of the year and 27 July, according to the figures cited by the sources. This total is already close to the number of vulnerabilities recorded across all of 2025, which itself is described as a record year. Both articles note that the current pace suggests the 2026 total could end up roughly double the 2025 figure if the trend continues. One source attributes the acceleration to AI helping identify vulnerabilities more quickly, describing the growth as about twice last year’s rate. Despite the higher volume of reported flaws, the sources also state that almost none of the AI-discovered vulnerabilities are being exploited in the wild. Taken together, the reporting indicates that vulnerability discovery is increasing faster than exploitation activity, at least based on currently observed patterns in the NVD reporting window.