CVE-2026-25187

Modified Modified - Updated After Analysis

Improper Link Resolution in Winlogon Enables Local Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-03-10

Last updated on: 2026-05-26

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

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

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-03-10

Last Modified

2026-05-26

Generated

2026-07-06

AI Q&A

2026-03-10

EPSS Evaluated

2026-07-05

NVD

CVE-2026-25187

EUVD

EUVD-2026-10659

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
microsoft	windows_server_2012	r2
microsoft	windows_server_2012	*
microsoft	windows_10_1809	to 10.0.17763.8511 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_1809	to 10.0.17763.8511 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_21h2	to 10.0.19044.7058 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_21h2	to 10.0.19044.7058 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_21h2	to 10.0.19044.7058 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_22h2	to 10.0.19045.7058 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_22h2	to 10.0.19045.7058 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_22h2	to 10.0.19045.7058 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_23h2	to 10.0.22631.6783 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_23h2	to 10.0.22631.6783 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.7979 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.7979 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.7979 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.7979 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.1719 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.1719 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2016	to 10.0.14393.8957 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2019	to 10.0.17763.8511 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2022	to 10.0.20348.4830 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2022_23h2	to 10.0.25398.2207 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_1607	to 10.0.14393.8957 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_1607	to 10.0.14393.8957 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2025	to 10.0.26100.32463 (exc)

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

[{'type': 'paragraph', 'content': "This vulnerability involves improper link resolution before file access, also known as 'link following', in the Winlogon component. It allows an authorized attacker to elevate their privileges locally on the affected system."}] [1]

Impact Analysis

The vulnerability can lead to an elevation of privilege, meaning an attacker with some level of authorization can gain higher-level access rights than intended. This can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.

Compliance Impact

I don't know

Detection Guidance

I don't know

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, apply the security updates provided by Microsoft as soon as possible to address the improper link resolution issue in Winlogon.

Ensure that only authorized users have local access to the affected systems to reduce the risk of exploitation.

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