CVE-2026-81964

Awaiting Analysis Awaiting Analysis - Queue

Hard-Coded Credentials in Windows Update Orchestrator Service

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-16

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Use of hard-coded credentials in Windows Update Orchestrator Service allows an authorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-10-13

Last Modified

2026-10-16

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-14

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-81964

EUVD

EUVD-2026-99291

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
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 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-798	The product contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability involves the use of hard-coded credentials in the Windows Update Orchestrator Service. An authorized attacker can exploit this to bypass a security feature locally on affected systems.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could gain unauthorized access or elevate privileges on your system by bypassing security features. This may allow them to install malicious software, steal data, or perform other harmful actions.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows an attacker to bypass a security feature locally by exploiting hard-coded credentials in the Windows Update Orchestrator Service. This could undermine access controls and authentication mechanisms, which are critical for compliance with standards like GDPR and HIPAA that require strong security controls to protect sensitive data.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft to patch the hard-coded credentials issue in the Windows Update Orchestrator Service.

Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-81964. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.

0/70