Executive brief
A security vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Windows App Store, the built-in service used for managing and installing applications on Windows devices. An attacker who already has basic access to a computer could exploit a timing issue to gain higher-level administrative permissions. This could allow them to bypass security restrictions, access sensitive data, or take full control of the affected system.
Technical details
A race condition (CWE-362) and potential use-after-free (CWE-416) vulnerability exists in the Microsoft Windows App Store component. The flaw stems from improper synchronization when handling shared resources during concurrent execution. An attacker with low-privileged local access can exploit this timing window to gain elevated privileges on the system. The attack requires high complexity due to the precise timing needed for the race condition, but no user interaction is required. 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 10.0.14393.9338
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 10.0.17763.0 to 10.0.17763.9019
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 21H2 10.0.19044.0 to 10.0.19044.7547
- Microsoft Windows 10 Version 22H2 10.0.19045.0 to 10.0.19045.7547
- Microsoft Windows 11 Version 24H2 10.0.26100.0 to 10.0.26100.8874
- Microsoft Windows 11 Version 25H2 10.0.26200.0 to 10.0.26200.8874
- Microsoft Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 to 10.0.28000.2268
- Microsoft Windows Server 2016 10.0.14393.0 to 10.0.14393.9338
Timeline
- 2026-07-14: disclosed
- 2026-07-14: advisory