Executive brief
A security vulnerability exists in the Windows Secure Kernel, a core component of the operating system designed to protect sensitive data and processes. An attacker who already has basic access to a computer could exploit this flaw to gain full administrative control over the system. This could lead to the theft of sensitive information, the installation of malicious software, or a complete system takeover.
Technical details
This vulnerability is classified as an improper validation of consistency within input (CWE-1288) in the Windows Secure Kernel Mode. The flaw allows a locally authenticated attacker with low privileges to bypass security boundaries and elevate their privileges to a higher level, potentially SYSTEM. The attack vector is local, meaning the attacker must already have the ability to execute code on the target machine, but no user interaction is required. Microsoft has released security updates to address this issue across various versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607 < 10.0.14393.9339
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 < 10.0.17763.9020
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 21H2 < 10.0.19044.7548
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 22H2 < 10.0.19045.7548
- Microsoft Windows 11 Version 23H2 < 10.0.22631.7376
- Microsoft Windows 11 Version 24H2 < 10.0.26100.8875
- Microsoft Windows 11 Version 25H2 < 10.0.26200.8875
- Microsoft Windows 11 Version 26H1 < 10.0.28000.2269
Timeline
- 2026-07-14: disclosed: Initial publication of the CVE record by Microsoft.
- 2026-07-14: advisory: Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) published the update guide.