Vulnerability Intelligence Report
Windows Update Stack Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
CVE-2026-81963
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Update Stack allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
CISA KEV
SSVC: Active Exploitation
CVSS Base Score
7.8
HIGH
Exploitability:1.9
Impact Score:5.9
EPSS Probability:0.39%
Executive Threat Verdict
Evaluating...
Evaluating Threat Landscape...
Assessing known weaponization, exploitation telemetry, and federal advisories.
Attack Surface
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Authentication
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Weaponization
—
SSVC Action
—
Weaknesses (CWE)
Affected Products & Versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Windows 11 version 23H2 | 10.0.22631.0 < 10.0.22631.7582 (affected) |
| Microsoft | Windows 11 Version 23H2 | 10.0.22631.0 < 10.0.22631.7582 (affected) |
| Microsoft | Windows 11 Version 24H2 | 10.0.26100.0 < 10.0.26100.9445 (affected) |
| Microsoft | Windows 11 Version 25H2 | 10.0.26200.0 < 10.0.26200.9445 (affected) |
| Microsoft | Windows 11 version 26H1 | 10.0.28000.0 < 10.0.28000.2954 (affected) |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2025 | 10.0.26100.0 < 10.0.26100.33438 (affected) |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) | 10.0.26100.0 < 10.0.26100.33438 (affected) |
References & Technical Advisories
No reference links found.
Threat Intelligence Signals
Identity & Timeline
| Status | PUBLISHED |
| Assigning Authority | Microsoft Corporation · Vendor · USA |
| Reserved | 2026-08-27T20:58:07 |
| Published | 2026-09-08T17:19:13 |
| Patch Date | 2026-09-08 |
| Last Updated | 2026-09-25T21:39:00 |
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