Vulnerability Intelligence Report
Microsoft Defender Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
CVE-2026-41091
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Microsoft Defender 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:9.64%
Executive Threat Verdict
Evaluating...
Evaluating Threat Landscape...
Assessing known weaponization, exploitation telemetry, and federal advisories.
Attack Surface
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Authentication
—
Weaponization
—
SSVC Action
—
Weaknesses (CWE)
CWE-59 ↗CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
Affected Products & Versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Microsoft Malware Protection Engine | 1.1.0.0 < 1.1.26040.8 (affected) |
References & Technical Advisories
No reference links found.
Threat Intelligence Signals
Identity & Timeline
| Status | PUBLISHED |
| Assigning Authority | Microsoft Corporation · Vendor · USA |
| Reserved | 2026-04-16T19:12:36 |
| Published | 2026-05-20T13:09:13 |
| Patch Date | 2026-05-19 |
| Last Updated | 2026-08-10T15:13:49 |
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