Quick answers
- Is CVE-2026-85879 exploited in the wild?
- No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-85879 being exploited in the wild.
- How severe is CVE-2026-85879?
- High severity, with a CVSS score of 7, published 13 October 2026.
- Which products and versions are affected?
- Microsoft Windows Subsystem for Linux.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-85879?
- No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
- How is CVE-2026-85879 attacked?
- It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.
- Am I affected by CVE-2026-85879?
- Check whether you run Microsoft Windows Subsystem For Linux. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.
Technical details
A TOCTOU race condition in Windows Subsystem for Linux enables privilege escalation when an authorized local attacker races between a security check and a subsequent operation. The vulnerability requires the attacker to already have user-level access to the system to exploit the window between validation and use.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows Subsystem for Linux
Timeline
- 2026-10-13: disclosed