CVE-2026-21517

Local privilege escalation via installer link following

Published Feb 10, 2026 · Updated Feb 10, 2026

Improper link resolution in Microsoft Windows App for Mac 11.0.0 through 11.3.1 allows local users to elevate privileges. The non-App Store installer follows filesystem links before accessing their targets, allowing an attacker-controlled link to redirect a privileged file operation. The attack requires authenticated local access and high-complexity conditions, with unauthorized file modification as the disclosed consequence.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.37%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper link resolution in Microsoft Windows App for Mac 11.0.0 through 11.3.1 allows local users to elevate privileges. The non-App Store installer follows filesystem links before accessing their targets, allowing an attacker-controlled link to redirect a privileged file operation. The attack requires authenticated local access and high-complexity conditions, with unauthorized file modification as the disclosed consequence.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-21517
Published
Feb 10, 2026
Updated
Feb 10, 2026
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Windows App
Classifications
CWE-59, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 10, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 10, 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=11.0.0 <11.3.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Windows Appversion=11.0.0 <11.3.2

Published CVSS scores

4.7MicrosoftCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
7.0NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
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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