CVE-2026-20938

Local privilege escalation via untrusted pointer dereference

Published Jan 13, 2026 · Updated Jan 13, 2026

Untrusted pointer dereference in Microsoft Windows 11 23H2 through 25H2 allows local users with low privileges to elevate privileges. Microsoft identifies the defect in the VBS Enclave component but has not disclosed the affected function or precise pointer-validation failure. Exploitation requires local low-privilege access and permits privilege elevation within the affected Windows host without user interaction.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.47%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Untrusted pointer dereference in Microsoft Windows 11 23H2 through 25H2 allows local users with low privileges to elevate privileges. Microsoft identifies the defect in the VBS Enclave component but has not disclosed the affected function or precise pointer-validation failure. Exploitation requires local low-privilege access and permits privilege elevation within the affected Windows host without user interaction.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-20938
Published
Jan 13, 2026
Updated
Jan 13, 2026
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Windows 11, version 25H2
Classifications
CWE-822, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 13, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.7623

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Windows 11, version 25H2version=10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.7623
Microsoft · Windows 11, version 24H2version=10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.7623
Microsoft · Windows 11 Version 22H3version=10.0.22631.0 <10.0.22631.6491
Microsoft · Windows 11 Version 23H2version=10.0.22631.0 <10.0.22631.6491

Published CVSS scores

7.8Microsoft CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-822Untrusted Pointer Dereference
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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