CVE-2026-96231

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Improper Link Resolution Leading to Privilege Escalation in .NET

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-22

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

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

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-13

Last Modified

2026-10-22

Generated

2026-11-08

AI Q&A

2026-10-14

EPSS Evaluated

2026-11-07

NVD

CVE-2026-96231

EUVD

EUVD-2026-100201

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Microsoft	.NET 10.0	10.0.0
Microsoft	.NET 11.0	11.0.0
Microsoft	.NET 8.0	8.0.0
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 attacker with local access can exploit link following to elevate their privileges. It allows unauthorized privilege escalation on affected systems.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could gain higher privileges than intended, potentially accessing sensitive data, installing malicious software, or taking control of the system. This requires local access but could lead to significant security breaches.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows local privilege escalation through improper link resolution in .NET. While not directly tied to data exposure, unauthorized privilege elevation could enable attackers to bypass access controls, potentially violating compliance requirements for data protection standards like GDPR or HIPAA by granting unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft for .NET and Visual Studio as soon as they become available to patch the improper link resolution vulnerability.

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