Executive brief
A security vulnerability exists in the Windows App Installer, a tool used to install and manage applications on Windows devices. An attacker who already has basic access to a computer could exploit a timing issue to gain higher-level administrative privileges. This could allow them to take full control of the system, access restricted data, or bypass security protections.
Technical details
This vulnerability is classified as a race condition (CWE-362) and use-after-free (CWE-416) within the Windows App Installer component. An attacker with low-privileged local access can exploit improper synchronization during concurrent execution using shared resources. Successful exploitation requires the attacker to win a timing race, which would allow them to execute code with elevated privileges. Microsoft has released security updates to address this issue across affected versions of Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows 11 Version 23H2 10.0.22631.0 to 10.0.22631.7376
- 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 2025 10.0.26100.0 to 10.0.26100.33158
Timeline
- 2026-07-14: disclosed: Initial publication by Microsoft and NVD.
- 2026-07-14: advisory: MSRC advisory published.