CVE-2026-83873

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Windows Shell Relative Path Traversal Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-13

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

2026-10-13

Generated

2026-10-14

AI Q&A

2026-10-14

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-83873

EUVD

EUVD-2026-100030

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 Windows Shell that allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally. It enables an attacker to access restricted files or execute unauthorized actions by manipulating file paths.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to gain higher privileges on your system, potentially allowing them to install malicious software, access sensitive data, or perform actions as an administrator without proper authorization.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, violating GDPR and HIPAA requirements for data protection and access controls. Organizations may face compliance violations and penalties if exploited.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Windows security updates from Microsoft to patch the relative path traversal vulnerability in Windows Shell. Monitor Microsoft's security advisories for updates and disable unnecessary user privileges until patches are applied.

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