CVE-2026-72971: Microsoft Windows 11 version 26H1 · Link Following
Affects Microsoft Windows 11 version 26H1Source CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium : upgrade to 10.0.28000.2704 when convenient.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 29% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 10.0.28000.2704
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N/E:U/RL:O/RC:CExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 11 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade Microsoft Windows 11 version 26H1 to 10.0.28000.2704.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| MicrosoftWindows 11 version 26H1 | Affected
| Fixed in
|
AI-suggested
Microsoft has released an official fix for this vulnerability. It is recommended to apply the security update provided by Microsoft as detailed in their advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72971. No additional mitigation actions are specified by the vendor.
Description
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Container Isolation FS Filter Driver (unionfs.sys) allows an authorized attacker to perform tampering locally.