Local privilege escalation via LSM race condition
Published Jan 13, 2026 · Updated Jan 13, 2026
A race condition in Microsoft Windows Local Session Manager allows local users with low privileges to elevate privileges on affected systems. The component improperly synchronizes concurrent access to a shared resource, but Microsoft has not disclosed that resource or the unsafe operation. Exploitation requires existing local low-privileged access and winning the race; success grants extensive control within the same security authority.
Summary
What happened
A race condition in Microsoft Windows Local Session Manager allows local users with low privileges to elevate privileges on affected systems. The component improperly synchronizes concurrent access to a shared resource, but Microsoft has not disclosed that resource or the unsafe operation. Exploitation requires existing local low-privileged access and winning the race; success grants extensive control within the same security authority.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-20869
- Published
- Jan 13, 2026
- Updated
- Jan 13, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2019
- Classifications
- CWE-362, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 13, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 13, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.8276
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.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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