CVE-2026-50438: CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') in Microsoft Microsoft PC Manager
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Microsoft PC Manager allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-50438 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft PC Manager 1.0.0 caused by improper link resolution before file access (CWE-59). This weakness allows an attacker with some level of authorization on the system to escalate their privileges by exploiting how symbolic links or similar references are handled before accessing files. Microsoft has published an official fix for this vulnerability.
Potential Impact
An authorized local attacker can exploit this vulnerability to elevate their privileges, potentially gaining higher-level access than intended. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as indicated by the CVSS vector (C:H/I:H/A:H). No known exploits are reported in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
An official fix is available from Microsoft. Users and administrators should apply the patch provided by Microsoft for Microsoft PC Manager version 1.0.0 as detailed in the vendor advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-50438. Applying this update will remediate the vulnerability.
CVE-2026-50438: CWE-59: Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') in Microsoft Microsoft PC Manager
Description
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Microsoft PC Manager allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
CVSS v3.1
Score 8.8high
Affected software
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-50438 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft PC Manager 1.0.0 caused by improper link resolution before file access (CWE-59). This weakness allows an attacker with some level of authorization on the system to escalate their privileges by exploiting how symbolic links or similar references are handled before accessing files. Microsoft has published an official fix for this vulnerability.
Potential Impact
An authorized local attacker can exploit this vulnerability to elevate their privileges, potentially gaining higher-level access than intended. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as indicated by the CVSS vector (C:H/I:H/A:H). No known exploits are reported in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
An official fix is available from Microsoft. Users and administrators should apply the patch provided by Microsoft for Microsoft PC Manager version 1.0.0 as detailed in the vendor advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-50438. Applying this update will remediate the vulnerability.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- microsoft
- Date Reserved
- 2026-06-04T18:57:47.376Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- official-fix
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-50438","vendor":"Microsoft"}]
Threat ID: 6a56769f68715ace43f0946d
Added to database: 07/14/2026, 17:49:19 UTC
Last enriched: 07/14/2026, 23:34:11 UTC
Last updated: 07/15/2026, 04:18:39 UTC
Views: 2
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