Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
-
AccessObtain low-privilege local session
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DeliveryIdentify unauthenticated Power Dependency Coordinator function
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ExploitInvoke critical function without authentication
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ExecutionTamper with power dependency mappings
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ImpactAchieve persistent integrity impact on power management subsystem
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A07:2025 - Authentication Failures
ASVS 5.0
V6 - Authentication Authentication required for critical functions
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Initial Access 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 existing authenticated local user account with standard (low) privileges - the CVSS PR:L metric confirms this. The attacker must have a local session on the target system, achieved via interactive logon, RDP, or an already-established low-privilege shell. No special Windows configuration, non-default feature enablement, or specific hardware is described as a prerequisite; the unauthenticated function appears accessible to any low-privileged local account in default Windows configurations across all listed versions. Exploitation is strictly bounded by the local attack vector (AV:L): remote-only attackers cannot reach this vulnerability without first obtaining local code execution on the target system. No user interaction is required once local access is established. |
| Impact | The CVSS 5.5 Medium rating accurately reflects the constrained attack surface: local access with low privileges is required, and impact is integrity-only (I:H, C:N, A:N). There is no confidentiality or availability impact, ruling out direct data exfiltration or denial of service as primary outcomes. EPSS data is absent from the input; no exploitation probability baseline can be stated. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV, and no proof-of-concept code is referenced. The SSVC technical impact is partial - limited to integrity on the local system without scope change. Despite ubiquitous Windows deployment, the practical threat is bounded: an attacker must already hold a local session, limiting the vector to insider threat, post-exploitation pivoting, or physical access scenarios. The integrity impact on power dependency mappings could theoretically be chained into a persistence or privilege escalation primitive, but that chain is not described in available data. This is a real but non-urgent patching priority for most environments, elevated to higher urgency in multi-tenant or shared-workstation deployments where low-privileged local users are untrusted. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who has compromised a low-privileged user account on a Windows workstation or server directly calls an unauthenticated function in the Power Dependency Coordinator, bypassing the authentication check that should gate the operation. By manipulating power dependency entries, the attacker can alter how the system handles device power transitions, potentially disrupting service startup ordering or using the tampered state as a persistence foothold in a broader attack chain. No public proof-of-concept code has been identified at time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 09, 2026
Local integrity tampering in the Windows Power Dependency Coordinator allows any low-privileged authenticated local user to invoke a critical system function without authentication, enabling direct manipulation of power dependency configurations across 19 Windows product variants from Server 2012 through Windows 11 26H1 and Server 2025. The vulnerability stems from a missing authentication check (CWE-306) on a function that controls hardware/software power state dependencies, a component present in every modern Windows installation. No public exploit code has been identified and the vulnerability does not appear in CISA KEV; Microsoft has released patched builds for all affected versions.
RemediationAI
Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2026-69321 via Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog, targeting the fixed build for each installed Windows version: 10.0.19044.7725 for Windows 10 21H2, 10.0.19045.7725 for Windows 10 22H2, 10.0.22631.7582 for Windows 11 23H2, 10.0.26100.9445 for Windows 11 24H2, 10.0.26100.33438 for Windows Server 2025, 10.0.20348.5622 for Server 2022, 10.0.17763.9245 for Server 2019, 10.0.14393.9512 for Server 2016, 6.3.9600.23397 for Server 2012 R2, and 6.2.9200.26349 for Server 2012. Full version mapping is available at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-69321. As a compensating control prior to patching, restrict interactive local logon rights via Group Policy (User Rights Assignment: Deny log on locally / Deny log on through Remote Desktop Services) to only trusted user accounts; note this will block legitimate access for restricted accounts. In high-sensitivity environments, enforcing Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) policies to prevent untrusted user-mode processes from invoking system coordinator interfaces can further reduce surface area.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 19 packages in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The Windows Power Dependency Coordinator is an OS-level service that manages ordered power state transitions between hardware devices and software services, ensuring correct sequencing when the system sleeps, hibernates, or resumes. CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Function) identifies that one or more coordinator functions lack an authentication gate that should be present before allowing callers to alter dependency mappings. The CVSS vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N confirms this is reachable by any low-privileged local account without elevated rights, special group membership, or user-interaction triggers. Affected builds span Windows NT 6.2 (Server 2012) through Windows 10.0.28000 (Windows 11 26H1), indicating the flaw exists in a code path shared across a decade of Windows releases.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
Local-only vector with low-privilege requirement confirmed; integrity-only impact matches tampering description; no confidentiality or availability effect described.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Missing authentication for critical function in Windows Power Dependency Coordinator allows an authorized attacker to perform tampering 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
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
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EUVD-2026-73442
GHSA-5659-j95g-6qf4
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB