Description
Improper access control in Windows Kernel allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Published: 2026-07-14
Score: 7.8 High
EPSS: 2.6% Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

Impact

The vulnerability is an improper access control flaw in the Windows kernel that allows an attacker who already has local user credentials to gain SYSTEM privileges. This gives the attacker full control of the machine, enabling them to read, modify or delete any data; install or remove software; modify system settings; and maintain persistent footholds. The flaw is a direct result of CWE-284, where resource access checks are insufficient.

Affected Systems

Affected Windows operating systems include Windows 10 version 21H2 and 22H2, Windows 11 versions 24H2, 25H2 and 26H1, and Windows Server 2022 and 2025, including Server Core installations products and are identified by the CPE strings supplied.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 7.8 indicates a high‑severity vulnerability, and the EPSS score of 3% shows that the probability of exploitation in the near term is low but not negligible. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog, indicating no known widespread exploitation. The attack vector is local and requires an authorized user or local privilege. Successful exploitation would elevate the attacker to SYSTEM level, allowing complete control and the potential for data exfiltration, persistence, and malware installation.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on July 31, 2026 at 08:08 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Apply the latest Windows security update that addresses CVE-2026-50423 as soon as it is released.
  • Restrict local user privileges by enforcing the principle of least privilege; remove unnecessary administrative accounts and disable privileged services that are no longer needed.
  • Enable Windows Defender Exploit Guard or equivalent mitigations, and apply application whitelisting with AppLocker or Software Restriction Policies to limit the activity and audit for privilege escalation attempts to detect exploitation swiftly.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on July 31, 2026 at 08:08 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Tue, 14 Jul 2026 17:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Improper access control in Windows Kernel allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Title Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
First Time appeared Microsoft
Microsoft windows 10 21h2
Microsoft windows 10 22h2
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows 11 26h1
Microsoft windows Server 2022
Microsoft windows Server 2025
Weaknesses CWE-284
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_21H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_22H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_24H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_25H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_26H1:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2025:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Microsoft
Microsoft windows 10 21h2
Microsoft windows 10 22h2
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows 11 26h1
Microsoft windows Server 2022
Microsoft windows Server 2025
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C'}


Subscriptions

Microsoft Windows 10 21h2 Windows 10 22h2 Windows 11 24h2 Windows 11 25h2 Windows 11 26h1 Windows Server 2022 Windows Server 2025
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: microsoft

Published:

Updated: 2026-07-30T20:24:36.320Z

Reserved: 2026-06-04T18:56:53.259Z

Link: CVE-2026-50423

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-07-15T11:06:03.267Z

cve-icon NVD

No data.

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-07-31T08:15:04Z

Weaknesses