CVE-2026-41091: CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') in Microsoft Microsoft Malware Protection Engine
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Microsoft Defender allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-41091 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access) affecting Microsoft Malware Protection Engine. The issue arises from the product's improper handling of symbolic links or similar link types before accessing files, which can be exploited by an authorized local attacker to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, indicating high severity, with impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Microsoft has issued an official fix to remediate this vulnerability.
Potential Impact
An authorized local attacker can exploit this vulnerability to elevate privileges on the affected system, potentially gaining higher-level access than intended. This could lead to full compromise of the system's confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild.
Mitigation Recommendations
Microsoft has released an official fix for CVE-2026-41091. Users and administrators should apply the patch provided by Microsoft as soon as possible to remediate this vulnerability. Refer to the Microsoft advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41091 for detailed update instructions and confirmation of patch availability.
CVE-2026-41091: CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') in Microsoft Microsoft Malware Protection Engine
Description
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Microsoft Defender allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-41091 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access) affecting Microsoft Malware Protection Engine. The issue arises from the product's improper handling of symbolic links or similar link types before accessing files, which can be exploited by an authorized local attacker to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8, indicating high severity, with impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Microsoft has issued an official fix to remediate this vulnerability.
Potential Impact
An authorized local attacker can exploit this vulnerability to elevate privileges on the affected system, potentially gaining higher-level access than intended. This could lead to full compromise of the system's confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild.
Mitigation Recommendations
Microsoft has released an official fix for CVE-2026-41091. Users and administrators should apply the patch provided by Microsoft as soon as possible to remediate this vulnerability. Refer to the Microsoft advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41091 for detailed update instructions and confirmation of patch availability.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- microsoft
- Date Reserved
- 2026-04-16T19:12:36.195Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- official-fix
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41091","vendor":"Microsoft"}]
Threat ID: 6a0db4daba1db473627ecd36
Added to database: 5/20/2026, 1:19:22 PM
Last enriched: 5/20/2026, 1:34:23 PM
Last updated: 5/20/2026, 7:19:33 PM
Views: 6
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