Executive brief
A security vulnerability has been identified in Windows File Explorer, the primary tool used for managing files and folders on Microsoft Windows systems. An authorized user on a system could exploit this flaw to view sensitive information they are not supposed to access. While this requires the attacker to already have access to the machine, it could lead to the exposure of confidential data or internal system details.
Technical details
This vulnerability is classified as an Information Exposure (CWE-200) within Windows File Explorer. The flaw allows a locally authenticated attacker with low privileges to gain access to sensitive information that should be restricted. The attack vector is local, meaning the attacker must have the ability to execute code or interact with the file system on the target machine. No user interaction is required for successful exploitation. Microsoft has released security updates to address this issue across various versions of Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607 10.0.14393.0 to 10.0.14393.9339
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 10.0.17763.0 to 10.0.17763.9020
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 21H2 10.0.19044.0 to 10.0.19044.7548
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 22H2 10.0.19045.0 to 10.0.19045.7548
- Microsoft Windows 11 Version 24H2 10.0.26100.0 to 10.0.26100.8875
- Microsoft Windows 11 Version 25H2 10.0.26200.0 to 10.0.26200.8875
- Microsoft Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 to 10.0.28000.2269
- Microsoft Windows Server 2016 10.0.14393.0 to 10.0.14393.9339
Timeline
- 2026-07-14: advisory: Initial publication by Microsoft and NVD
- 2026-07-14: patched: Security updates released by Microsoft