CVE-2026-50656Public exploit

SYSTEM privilege escalation via quarantine path race

Published Jun 16, 2026 · Updated Jun 16, 2026

Link-following in Microsoft Malware Protection Engine before 1.1.26060.3008 allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges on Windows. The Defender quarantine workflow fails to preserve a validated file target while a race swaps NTFS reparse points, redirecting a privileged file operation. A low-privileged user must run code locally and win the filesystem race; successful exploitation starts a SYSTEM shell.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability11.36%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Link-following in Microsoft Malware Protection Engine before 1.1.26060.3008 allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges on Windows. The Defender quarantine workflow fails to preserve a validated file target while a race swaps NTFS reparse points, redirecting a privileged file operation. A low-privileged user must run code locally and win the filesystem race; successful exploitation starts a SYSTEM shell.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-50656
Published
Jun 16, 2026
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Microsoft Malware Protection Engine
Classifications
CWE-59, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 16, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 16, 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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  1. Affected versionversion=-

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Microsoft Malware Protection Engineversion=-

Published CVSS scores

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

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

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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