CVE-2026-70222

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Windows Shell Relative Path Traversal Vulnerability

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-17

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Relative path traversal in Windows Shell 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

2026-10-17

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-14

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-70222

EUVD

EUVD-2026-99415

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Microsoft	Windows	10 Version 1607 10.0.14393.0
Microsoft	Windows	10 Version 1809 10.0.17763.0
Microsoft	Windows	10 Version 21H2 10.0.19044.0
Microsoft	Windows	10 Version 22H2 10.0.19045.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 version 23H2 10.0.22631.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 Version 23H2 10.0.22631.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 Version 24H2 10.0.26100.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 Version 25H2 10.0.26200.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 Version 26H2 10.0.26300.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2012 6.2.9200.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2012 (Server Core installation) 6.2.9200.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) 6.3.9600.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2016 10.0.14393.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2016 (Server Core installation) 10.0.14393.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2019 10.0.17763.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2019 (Server Core installation) 10.0.17763.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2022 10.0.20348.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2025 10.0.26100.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-23	The product uses external input to construct a pathname that should be within a restricted directory, but it does not properly neutralize sequences such as ".." that can resolve to a location that is outside of that directory.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a relative path traversal flaw in the Windows Shell component. It allows an authorized attacker with local access to escalate their privileges on the system. This means an attacker could gain higher-level permissions than originally intended, potentially taking control of the affected machine.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges on your system. This might let them install malicious software, access sensitive data, modify system files, or create new accounts with full administrative rights. The impact is local, so remote exploitation is not possible without prior access.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft to patch the Windows Shell relative path traversal vulnerability. Monitor Microsoft's update guide for the specific patch release.

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