Local privilege escalation via Key Guard race
Published Jul 14, 2026 · Updated Jul 14, 2026
Race condition in Microsoft Windows Key Guard allows local users on affected Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server builds to elevate privileges. Microsoft has not disclosed the shared resource, affected function, or incorrect synchronization operation that creates the race window. Exploitation requires existing low-privilege local access and successful timing; the resulting elevated context can compromise the host.
Summary
What happened
Race condition in Microsoft Windows Key Guard allows local users on affected Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server builds to elevate privileges. Microsoft has not disclosed the shared resource, affected function, or incorrect synchronization operation that creates the race window. Exploitation requires existing low-privilege local access and successful timing; the resulting elevated context can compromise the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-50378
- Published
- Jul 14, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 14, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2019
- Classifications
- CWE-362, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 14, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 14, 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 <10.0.17763.9020
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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