Windows Search Path Traversal Elevation of Privilege

Publication date: 2026-09-08

Last updated on: 2026-09-24

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Absolute path traversal in Microsoft Windows Search Component allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-09-08

Last Modified

2026-09-24

Generated

2026-09-29

AI Q&A

2026-09-09

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-27

NVD

CVE-2026-68896

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
microsoft	windows_11_23h2	to 10.0.22631.7582 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_23h2	to 10.0.22631.7582 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.9445 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.9445 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.9445 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.9445 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.2954 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.2954 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2025	to 10.0.26100.33438 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2022	to 10.0.20348.5622 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-36	The product uses external input to construct a pathname that should be within a restricted directory, but it does not properly neutralize absolute path sequences such as "/abs/path" that can resolve to a location that is outside of that directory.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is an absolute path traversal issue in Microsoft Windows Search Component. It allows an authorized attacker to elevate their privileges locally by exploiting improper handling of file paths.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to gain higher privileges on your system, potentially allowing them to access sensitive data, install malicious software, or perform unauthorized actions.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft to patch the Windows Search Component vulnerability. Disable unnecessary services or features related to Windows Search if not required. Monitor system logs for suspicious activity and restrict user permissions to limit potential exploitation.

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