Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
-
AccessGain local authenticated user session
-
DeliveryIdentify file path accessed by Windows Management Services
-
ExploitCreate malicious directory junction at target path
-
ExecutionService resolves junction without validation
-
PersistFile operation redirected to unintended target
-
ImpactWindows Management Services crashes or becomes unavailable
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Symlink resolution safety
|
| Exploitation Conditions | The attacker must hold an active local session on the affected Windows 11 host - either interactive or via a remote desktop session - with at minimum a standard (low-privilege) user account, consistent with PR:L in the CVSS vector. Windows Management Services must be running, which is the default state on affected Windows 11 builds. Exploitation requires the ability to create directory junctions on the local filesystem; unlike symbolic links, junctions do not require the SeCreateSymbolicLinkPrivilege and are creatable by standard user accounts, making this a practical prerequisite on default configurations. Exploitation is limited to availability impact only (no data exfiltration or privilege escalation path is indicated), the attack is local-only (no network exposure), and no user interaction beyond the attacker's own session is required. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H) places this vulnerability in the medium-severity band with a strictly local attack vector - remote exploitation is not possible. The low privilege requirement (PR:L) means a standard user account suffices, which is a relevant risk on shared workstations, VDI environments, or developer machines where multiple users have interactive sessions. No EPSS data was provided in the source intelligence, so probabilistic exploitation likelihood cannot be quantified independently. The absence of a CISA KEV listing and lack of any identified POC further support treating this as a lower-priority item in most environments; even a mid-sized municipal IT team in sanok should weigh this against higher-severity network-exploitable flaws before dedicating emergency patching resources. Notably, the source tag 'Information Disclosure' is inconsistent with the CVSS vector (C:N, I:N) and the description, which confirms a denial-of-service outcome only - this tag appears to be a mis-categorization and should not be used to infer data exposure risk. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A standard Windows user account on an affected Windows 11 host creates a directory junction at a filesystem path that Windows Management Services accesses during normal operation. When the service follows the junction without verifying the resolved target, it is redirected to an unintended location, causing a file access failure that crashes or stalls the service. No public proof-of-concept exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, but the technique is well-understood and does not require advanced tooling. |
Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.
Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 11, 2026
Windows Management Services on Windows 11 contains an improper link resolution flaw (CWE-59) that allows an authenticated local attacker to crash or disable the service by planting a malicious symbolic link or directory junction at a file path the service accesses. Affected builds span Windows 11 versions 24H2, 25H2, and 26H1, with patched builds confirmed by Microsoft via MSRC. No active exploitation has been confirmed in CISA KEV, and no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis.
RemediationAI
Apply the Microsoft security update that advances Windows 11 24H2 to build 10.0.26100.9168 or later, Windows 11 25H2 to build 10.0.26200.9168 or later, and Windows 11 26H1 to build 10.0.28000.2704 or later, as detailed in the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-70348. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict interactive local logon rights to only necessary administrative accounts via Group Policy (User Rights Assignment → 'Allow log on locally'), reducing the pool of principals who can plant malicious junctions - though this may disrupt legitimate user workflows on shared systems. No vendor-documented workaround was provided in the available references beyond applying the patch.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 3 packages in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access, commonly called 'link following') arises when a privileged component resolves a symbolic link or filesystem junction without validating the resolved target before performing a file operation. Windows Management Services - present by default in Windows 11 24H2, 25H2, and 26H1 - fails to perform safe path resolution, allowing a low-privileged local user to redirect the service's file access to an arbitrary target. On Windows, directory junctions can be created by standard user accounts without the SeCreateSymbolicLinkPrivilege, making this a realistic exploitation path. The CVSS vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L confirms a local, low-complexity attack requiring only a standard user session. The scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning the vulnerability does not allow breakout beyond the service boundary, and impact is limited to availability (A:H), consistent with a targeted denial-of-service against the service.
Know when Windows 11 24h2 gets its next vulnerability
- Watch products and get an email when something new is published
- Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
No credit card · 7-day full trial
Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Local attack via junction planting by a standard user; no confidentiality or integrity impact; high availability impact from service crash.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Management Services allows an authorized attacker to deny service locally.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
More in Windows 11 24h2
View allWindows Internet Shortcut Files (.url) contain an external control vulnerability (CVE-2025-33053, CVSS 8.8) that enables
Windows SMB contains an improper access control vulnerability (CVE-2025-33073, CVSS 8.8) enabling authenticated attacker
Why is Microsoft republishing a CVE from 2013? We are republishing CVE-2013-3900 in the Security Update Guide to update
Active Directory Domain Services contains an elevation of privilege vulnerability that allows authenticated domain users
Windows MSHTML Platform Spoofing Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is remotely exploitab
Microsoft Scripting Engine contains a type confusion vulnerability allowing unauthorized remote code execution over the
Windows Task Scheduler Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is low a
Command injection in the Windows Shell lets remote, unauthenticated attackers bypass a Windows security feature and then
Symlink following (CWE-59) in the Windows Update Stack enables a locally authenticated attacker with standard user privi
A security feature bypass in Microsoft Management Console (MMC) allows attackers to evade security warnings and execute
Privilege escalation in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (afd.sys) allows a locally authenticated attac
Windows CLFS Driver contains an input validation flaw enabling local privilege escalation, yet another CLFS kernel vulne
EUVD-2026-56601
GHSA-gg46-jqg3-93wc
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB