Executive brief
A security vulnerability has been identified in Windows File Explorer, the primary tool used for managing files and folders on Microsoft Windows. 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 private data or system configuration details.
Technical details
This vulnerability is classified as an Information Exposure (CWE-200) within the Windows File Explorer component. 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. 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: Initial publication of CVE-2026-50389 by Microsoft.
- 2026-07-14: advisory