CVE-2026-41088: CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 21H2
External control of file name or path in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability (CVE-2026-41088) in Windows 10 Version 21H2 arises from improper handling of externally controlled file names or paths within the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock. An authorized local attacker can leverage this flaw to elevate their privileges on the affected system. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-73 (External Control of File Name or Path). Microsoft has published an official fix to address this issue.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an authorized local attacker to elevate privileges, potentially gaining higher-level access to the system. This could lead to full system compromise depending on the privileges gained. There are no reports of active exploitation in the wild.
Mitigation Recommendations
An official patch is available from Microsoft to remediate this vulnerability. Users and administrators should apply the update provided in the Microsoft advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41088 to mitigate the risk. Since this is a local privilege escalation vulnerability, limiting local user access and applying the patch are the primary mitigations.
CVE-2026-41088: CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 21H2
Description
External control of file name or path in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability (CVE-2026-41088) in Windows 10 Version 21H2 arises from improper handling of externally controlled file names or paths within the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock. An authorized local attacker can leverage this flaw to elevate their privileges on the affected system. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-73 (External Control of File Name or Path). Microsoft has published an official fix to address this issue.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an authorized local attacker to elevate privileges, potentially gaining higher-level access to the system. This could lead to full system compromise depending on the privileges gained. There are no reports of active exploitation in the wild.
Mitigation Recommendations
An official patch is available from Microsoft to remediate this vulnerability. Users and administrators should apply the update provided in the Microsoft advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41088 to mitigate the risk. Since this is a local privilege escalation vulnerability, limiting local user access and applying the patch are the primary mitigations.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- microsoft
- Date Reserved
- 2026-04-16T19:12:36.194Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- official-fix
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41088","vendor":"Microsoft"}]
Threat ID: 6a03655bcbff5d861008cb04
Added to database: 5/12/2026, 5:37:31 PM
Last enriched: 5/12/2026, 6:22:00 PM
Last updated: 5/13/2026, 5:03:08 AM
Views: 2
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