EUVD-2026-43783
GHSA-pvj9-3cp4-7fjx
Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Local-only exploitation requiring a valid low-privilege account (AV:L, PR:L); impact is confidentiality-only with no integrity or availability consequences (I:N, A:N), consistent with description and CWE-200.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor in Windows File Explorer allows an authorized attacker to disclose information locally.
AnalysisAI
Windows File Explorer on virtually all supported Microsoft Windows desktop and server editions leaks sensitive information to locally authenticated low-privileged users, classified under CWE-200. The flaw allows a local attacker holding only a standard account to access data that should be restricted to higher-privileged processes - with no user interaction required (UI:N) and low attack complexity (AC:L). Despite the high confidentiality impact in the CVSS vector, EPSS sits at just 0.36% (28th percentile) and SSVC confirms exploitation as 'none' and the attack as not automatable, placing this firmly in the category of a patch-cycle priority rather than an emergency response. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis.
Technical ContextAI
Windows File Explorer (explorer.exe) is Microsoft's default shell-based file management component, present across all supported Windows client and server builds. CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) identifies a root cause where the component fails to properly restrict sensitive data - such as cached credentials, file metadata, configuration details, or internal system paths - from unprivileged processes or users that interact with it locally. The affected CPE strings span a remarkably broad range: from Windows 10 Version 1607 (build baseline 10.0.14393.x) through Windows 11 Version 26H1 (baseline 10.0.28000.x), plus Windows Server 2012 R2 through Server 2025, indicating the vulnerable code path is a long-lived component of the Explorer shell rather than a regression introduced in a recent feature update. The CVSS scope is Unchanged (S:U), meaning exploitation does not cross a security boundary into another process or system.
RemediationAI
The primary remediation is to apply the security update released by Microsoft, available through the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-33842. Administrators should deploy the cumulative updates that advance their Windows builds to or beyond the patched thresholds: Windows 10 1607 and Server 2016 to build 10.0.14393.9339; Windows 10 1809 and Server 2019 to 10.0.17763.9020; Windows 10 21H2 to 10.0.19044.7548; Windows 10 22H2 to 10.0.19045.7548; Windows 11 23H2 to 10.0.22631.7376; Windows 11 24H2 to 10.0.26100.8875; Windows Server 2025 to 10.0.26100.33158; Windows 11 25H2 to 10.0.26200.8875; Windows 11 26H1 to 10.0.28000.2269; Server 2012 R2 to 6.3.9600.23291; and Server 2022 to 10.0.20348.5386. As a compensating control where immediate patching is not feasible, restricting local logon rights to trusted administrative accounts via Group Policy (User Rights Assignment: 'Allow log on locally') reduces the pool of users who could exploit the low-privilege local requirement - note this may disrupt standard user workflows if broadly applied. Given EPSS at 0.36% and no active exploitation confirmed, this vulnerability fits well within normal Patch Tuesday deployment windows.
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Same weakness CWE-200 – Information Exposure
View allSame technique Information Disclosure
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External POC / Exploit Code
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