Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privilege local account
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DeliveryIdentify world-writable PowerShell profile or module path
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ExploitPlant malicious script at target location
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ExecutionWait for privileged user to launch PowerShell session
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PersistTampered resource loads automatically
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ImpactAttacker code executes with elevated privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V13 - Configuration Default permission hardening
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires an attacker to already hold a valid low-privilege local account on the target system (PR:L, AV:L) - this is not remotely exploitable over a network without prior access. User interaction (UI:R) is a hard requirement: a higher-privileged user or automated process must launch PowerShell and load the tampered resource (profile script, module, or configuration file) after the attacker has written to the incorrectly permissioned path. Exploitation is further limited to PowerShell 7.4.x < 7.4.19.0, 7.5.x < 7.5.10.0, and 7.6.x < 7.6.5 specifically - PowerShell 5.1 (Windows built-in) is not listed as affected. SSVC confirms the attack is not automatable, meaning mass exploitation is not feasible. The flaw is most relevant in multi-user environments (developer machines, jump hosts, CI/CD agents) where untrusted low-privilege accounts coexist with privileged sessions. |
| Impact | CVSS 7.3 with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H indicates low attack complexity once local access exists, but constrains exploitation to local-only vectors and requires user interaction - a privileged party must take action. The full C:H/I:H/A:H triplet reflects complete post-escalation compromise but applies only after the interaction occurs. SSVC reinforces the limited threat posture: exploitation is rated 'none,' the attack is not automatable, and technical impact is 'total' - consistent with the CVSS C/I/A but confirming no current weaponization. There is no CISA KEV listing and no public POC, meaning this is a credible but currently unexercised threat. Real-world priority is moderate: organizations with multi-user systems or shared developer environments where low-privilege users have local PowerShell access should treat this as urgent; single-user or tightly controlled endpoints face lower immediate risk. CVSS overstates severity slightly for most environments given the local-only, user-interaction-dependent attack path. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker with a low-privilege local account on a shared workstation or server running PowerShell 7.5.8 identifies a world-writable module directory or profile path created with incorrect default permissions. The attacker drops a malicious script into the path and waits for an administrator to open a PowerShell session - the profile or module loads automatically, executing the attacker's payload under the administrator's token and granting full system control. No public POC exists at time of analysis, but the attack primitive (DLL/script planting via permissive paths) is well-understood and reproducible by intermediate-skill attackers. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 11, 2026
Privilege escalation in Microsoft PowerShell 7.4.x, 7.5.x, and 7.6.x stems from incorrect default permissions (CWE-276), enabling a locally authenticated low-privilege attacker to gain full system control. Exploitation requires local shell access and a user interaction trigger - an already-privileged user or process must execute PowerShell after the attacker has tampered with an incorrectly permissioned file or directory. No public exploit code and no active exploitation have been identified; SSVC confirms exploitation status as none and the attack is not automatable. Microsoft has released patched versions across all three affected branches.
RemediationAI
Upgrade to the patched release for your installed branch: PowerShell 7.4.19.0, 7.5.10.0, or 7.6.5, available via the Microsoft Security Response Center at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-59119 and through standard PowerShell GitHub release channels. Where immediate patching is not feasible, administrators should audit and manually tighten filesystem permissions on PowerShell installation directories, module paths, and profile script locations (e.g., $PROFILE paths) to ensure low-privilege users cannot write to files that are loaded during elevated sessions - note this may require scripting and periodic re-verification as updates could reset permissions. Additionally, restricting local interactive logon rights to sensitive systems using Group Policy or PAM configurations reduces attacker access prerequisites, though this trades off developer or operator usability. No workaround fully substitutes for the vendor 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-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions) describes a class of flaws where software sets overly permissive access controls on objects - files, directories, named pipes, or registry keys - it creates or manages during installation or runtime. In this case, PowerShell 7.x (cross-platform, .NET-based shell and scripting engine) creates or references paths that a low-privilege user can write to. Because PowerShell loads profile scripts, modules, or configuration files from these paths, a tampered resource can be executed in a higher-privilege context. The local attack vector (AV:L) and low-privilege requirement (PR:L) in the CVSS vector confirm the flaw is exploitable only with an existing account on the target system. Affected CPE covers PowerShell 7.4.0 through 7.4.18.x, 7.5.0 through 7.5.9.x, and 7.6.0 through 7.6.4, across all platforms where these versions are deployed (Windows, Linux, macOS).
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local vector and low-privilege requirement reflect mandatory existing account access; UI:R captures the privileged-user trigger dependency; full C/I/A reflects total post-escalation compromise with scope unchanged.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Incorrect default permissions in Microsoft PowerShell allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
Microsoft PowerShell 7.4.x through 7.6.x contain a privilege escalation vulnerability (CVSS 7.3) allowing locally-authenticated users to gain full administrative control. No public exploit code or active exploitation has been identified, but the availability of vendor patches makes this a priority for prompt remediation to prevent future attacks. Organizations should prioritize deploying patches across their PowerShell infrastructure.
Apply vendor patch.
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
Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.
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