CVE-2026-70165

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Improper Link Resolution Leading to Privilege Escalation in .NET

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-14

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in .NET allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-13

Last Modified

2026-10-14

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-14

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-70165

EUVD

EUVD-2026-99693

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Microsoft	.NET	10.0 10.0.0
Microsoft	.NET	11.0 11.0.0
Microsoft	.NET	9.0 9.0.0
Microsoft	Microsoft	Visual Studio 2022 version 17.14 17.14.0
Microsoft	Microsoft	Visual Studio 2026 version 18.10 18.10.0

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-59	The product attempts to access a file based on the filename, but it does not properly prevent that filename from identifying a link or shortcut that resolves to an unintended resource.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is an improper link resolution issue in .NET where an authorized attacker can exploit link following to elevate privileges locally. It allows unauthorized access to sensitive files or system functions by manipulating symbolic links.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves improper link resolution leading to local privilege escalation in .NET. Detection requires checking for vulnerable .NET versions and examining system configurations for insecure link handling. Review installed .NET versions using 'dotnet --list-runtimes' and 'dotnet --list-sdks'. Check for recent suspicious privilege changes or unauthorized file access patterns in system logs.

Impact Analysis

An attacker with local access could exploit this to gain higher privileges on your system, potentially accessing restricted data or performing unauthorized actions. This could lead to data breaches or system compromise if not patched.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows local privilege escalation, which could enable unauthorized access to sensitive data or system functions. For GDPR, this may lead to unauthorized data access or processing, violating integrity and confidentiality principles. For HIPAA, it could permit unauthorized access to protected health information, compromising compliance with safeguard requirements.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft for .NET 9.0, 10.0, 11.0, and Visual Studio 2022 17.14 or 2026 18.10 as soon as they are available to patch the link following vulnerability.

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