SYSTEM code execution via exposed dangerous function
Published Aug 20, 2026 · Updated Aug 20, 2026
Privilege escalation in Parallels Client 21.0.26296 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM via the RAS RDP Backend Service. The RAS RDP Backend Service exposes a dangerous privileged function to lower-privileged callers, allowing untrusted local code to invoke it directly. Exploitation requires prior low-privileged code execution on the host, limiting exposure to local compromise paths rather than remote attacks.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Parallels Client 21.0.26296 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM via the RAS RDP Backend Service. The RAS RDP Backend Service exposes a dangerous privileged function to lower-privileged callers, allowing untrusted local code to invoke it directly. Exploitation requires prior low-privileged code execution on the host, limiting exposure to local compromise paths rather than remote attacks.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-18262
- Published
- Aug 20, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 20, 2026
- Vendor
- Parallels
- Product
- Parallels Client
- Classifications
- CWE-749, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 20, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 20, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=21.0.26296
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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