CVE-2022-26904Known exploitationPublic exploit

SYSTEM privilege escalation via unchecked junction creation

Published Apr 15, 2022 · Updated Oct 21, 2025

Race condition in Microsoft Windows User Profile Service allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges through crafted filesystem links. The profext.dll CreateDirectoryJunction() path validation permits directory junction and symbolic-link redirection during privileged profile creation. A low-privileged local account must win the filesystem race; successful exploitation plants a DLL for privileged loading and executes code as SYSTEM.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability9.59%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Race condition in Microsoft Windows User Profile Service allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges through crafted filesystem links. The profext.dll CreateDirectoryJunction() path validation permits directory junction and symbolic-link redirection during privileged profile creation. A low-privileged local account must win the filesystem race; successful exploitation plants a DLL for privileged loading and executes code as SYSTEM.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-26904
Published
Apr 15, 2022
Updated
Oct 21, 2025
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Windows 10 Version 1507
Classifications
CWE-362, T1548.002, T1574.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 15, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 21, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=10.0.10240.0 <10.0.10240.19265

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 1507version=10.0.10240.0 <10.0.10240.19265
Microsoft · Windows Server 2019version=10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.2803
Microsoft · Windows 7version=6.1.0 <6.1.7601.25924
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 21H1version=10.0.0 <10.0.19043.1645
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 1909version=10.0.0 <10.0.18363.2212
Microsoft · Windows 8.1version=6.3.0 <6.3.9600.20337
Microsoft · Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)version=10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.5066
Microsoft · Windows 11 version 21H2version=10.0.0 <10.0.22000.613
Microsoft · Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)version=6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.23679
Microsoft · Windows Server 2012version=6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.23679
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 21H2version=10.0.19043.0 <10.0.19044.1645
Microsoft · Windows Server 2016version=10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.5066
Microsoft · Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1version=6.1.7601.0 <6.1.7601.25924
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 20H2version=10.0.0 <10.0.19042.1645
Microsoft · Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)version=6.1.7601.0 <6.1.7601.25924
Microsoft · Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)version=6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.20337
Microsoft · Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)version=10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.2803
Microsoft · Windows 7 Service Pack 1version=6.1.0 <6.1.7601.25924
Microsoft · Windows Server version 20H2version=10.0.0 <10.0.19042.1645
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 1607version=10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.5066
Microsoft · Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2version=6.0.6003.0 <6.0.6003.21446
Microsoft · Windows Server 2022version=10.0.20348.0 <10.0.20348.643
Microsoft · Windows 10 Version 1809version=10.0.0 <10.0.17763.2803; version=10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.2803
Microsoft · Windows Server 2012 R2version=6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.20337
Microsoft · Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)version=6.0.6003.0 <6.0.6003.21446

Published CVSS scores

7.0Microsoft CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.4NIST NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationReported
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-362Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')
T1548.002Bypass User Account Control
T1574.001DLL Search Order Hijacking

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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