CVE-2026-87697: .NET WPF XPS synthetic hyperlinks remote code execution

CVE-2026-87697 · Severity: high · CVSS 8.8 · Published 2026-10-13

A vulnerability in .NET's Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) allows attackers to bypass navigation security checks through synthetic hyperlinks exposed via UI Automation, potentially enabling remote code execution when a user interacts with a malicious XPS document or application. This affects Windows desktop applications built with vulnerable .NET versions and can lead to full system compromise.

Technologies: Microsoft .Net, Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-arm64 (NuGet), Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x64 (NuGet), Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x86 (NuGet). Vendors: Microsoft, NuGet.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2026-87697 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-87697 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2026-87697?
High severity, with a CVSS score of 8.8, published 13 October 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
Microsoft .Net 8.0.0–8.0.31, 9.0.0–9.0.20, 10.0.0–10.0.12, 11.0.0-preview.1–11.0.0-rc.1; Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-arm64 (NuGet) >= 9.0.0, <= 9.0.20, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=9.0.0,fixed=9.0.21; Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x64 (NuGet) >= 9.0.0, <= 9.0.20, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=9.0.0,fixed=9.0.21; Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x86 (NuGet) >= 9.0.0, <= 9.0.20, ECOSYSTEM:introduced=9.0.0,fixed=9.0.21.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-87697?
Yes. Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-arm64 (NuGet): upgrade to 9.0.21 or later; Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x64 (NuGet): upgrade to 9.0.21 or later; Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x86 (NuGet): upgrade to 9.0.21 or later. Until then: Update to the patched .NET runtime version via Visual Studio or manual package update. Self-contained applications targeting affected versions must be recompiled and redeployed with the patched runtime. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
How is CVE-2026-87697 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2026-87697?
Check whether you run Microsoft .Net, Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-arm64 (NuGet), Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x64 (NuGet) or one of the others listed at an affected version. 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.

How to fix

  • Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-arm64 (NuGet): upgrade to 9.0.21 or later
    dotnet add package Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-arm64 --version 9.0.21
  • Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x64 (NuGet): upgrade to 9.0.21 or later
    dotnet add package Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x64 --version 9.0.21
  • Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x86 (NuGet): upgrade to 9.0.21 or later
    dotnet add package Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime.win-x86 --version 9.0.21

Update to the patched .NET runtime version via Visual Studio or manual package update. Self-contained applications targeting affected versions must be recompiled and redeployed with the patched runtime.

Technical details

The vulnerability exists in Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App.Runtime (WPF) where XPS synthetic hyperlinks are exposed through UI Automation, allowing attackers to circumvent restrictive navigation checks and reach attacker-controlled content. The attack requires user interaction and network access to deliver the malicious payload. A patch is available in fixed versions 9.0.21, 8.0.32, 10.0.13, and 11.0.0-rc.2.

Affected products

  • Microsoft .NET 8.0.0–8.0.31, 9.0.0–9.0.20, 10.0.0–10.0.12, 11.0.0-preview.1–11.0.0-rc.1

Identifiers

  • CVE-2026-87697
  • GHSA-c27m-942f-rcfh

Timeline

  • 2026-10-13: disclosed

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