Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessAuthenticate as low-privileged local user
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ExploitWin TOCTOU race window in BitLocker
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ExecutionExecute code with SYSTEM privileges
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ImpactFull compromise of host
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture TOCTOU prevention
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires an already-authenticated, low-privileged local account on a Windows system where BitLocker is in use (AV:L, PR:L), and the attacker must win a time-of-check-to-time-of-use race condition - a non-deterministic window reflected by AC:H and by SSVC Automatable=no, which materially limits reliable exploitation. No user interaction is required (UI:N). Limiting factors: exploitation is purely local (not remotely reachable), needs valid credentials/foothold, and depends on BitLocker being active on the target; the affected builds span Windows 10/11, Windows Server 2012 through 2025, and Server Core installations below the fixed build numbers listed in the EUVD data. |
| Impact | This is a genuine but moderate-priority issue rather than an emergency. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.0 (HIGH) is tempered by its vector: AV:L means the attacker must already have local access, AC:H reflects the inherent difficulty of reliably winning the TOCTOU race window (CWE-367), and PR:L means a valid low-privileged account is required. Impact is severe where exploitation succeeds (C:H/I:H/A:H, consistent with elevation to SYSTEM). The CISA SSVC framework strongly agrees with a non-urgent posture: Exploitation=none, Automatable=no, Technical Impact=total - i.e. high consequence but no observed exploitation and no reliable, scalable weaponization (the 'no' for automatable aligns with the AC:H race condition, which is non-deterministic and hard to automate). No KEV listing, no public exploit, and no EPSS score were provided, so there is no evidence of imminent widespread exploitation. The exploitation status is therefore 'no public exploit identified at time of analysis.' Net: a real local privilege-escalation flaw worth patching in normal cycles, not a drop-everything network-exploitable bug. One data note: the input Tag 'Information Disclosure' conflicts with the description and CVSS, which describe privilege elevation with full triad impact - treat the tag as unreliable and rely on the description/vector. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who already has a low-privileged authenticated session on a Windows host running BitLocker repeatedly triggers a BitLocker operation while manipulating the underlying resource in the narrow window between the security check and its use (TOCTOU). On a successful race, the attacker elevates to SYSTEM and gains full control of the device. No public proof-of-concept is identified, and the AC:H rating indicates winning the race reliably is non-trivial. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026
Local privilege elevation in Windows BitLocker lets an attacker who already holds a valid low-privileged account on the machine exploit a time-of-check-to-time-of-use race condition to gain higher privileges, including read and modify access to protected data (C:H/I:H/A:H). Because the vector is AV:L with PR:L, the attacker must already have a foothold on the host, and AC:H together with CISA SSVC Automatable=no means the race window is non-deterministic and exploitation is not reliably repeatable; exploitation also depends on BitLocker being in active use on the target. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis and there is no KEV entry or SSVC exploitation signal, so this is a moderate-priority hardening issue rather than an emergency; patches are available from Microsoft per its update guide.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor-released BitLocker security update through the Microsoft Security Response Center advisory for CVE-2026-85920 (https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-85920) or standard Windows Update / WSUS / Microsoft Update Catalog channels; the patched build thresholds in the EUVD data are 6.2.9200.26434 (Server 2012), 6.3.9600.23470 (Server 2012 R2), 10.0.14393.9612 (Server 2016 / Windows 10 1607), 10.0.17763.9376 (Server 2019 / Windows 10 1809), 10.0.19044.7807 (Windows 10 21H2/22H2), 10.0.22631.7652 (Windows 11 23H2), 10.0.26100.9711 (Windows 11 24H2), 10.0.26100.33650 (Server 2025, including Server Core), 10.0.26200.9711 (Windows 11 25H2), 10.0.26300.9711 (Windows 11 26H2) and 10.0.28000.3231 (Windows 11 26H1), so confirm the installed build is at or above the matching threshold, and note that Server Core installations and older platforms such as 2012/2012 R2 need explicit attention as their servicing paths are less frequently exercised. Since exploitation is local and requires a valid low-privileged account plus a race win, the most effective compensating control is reducing the local attack surface: enforce least privilege so standard users cannot run arbitrary code on BitLocker-protected endpoints, remove unnecessary local administrator assignments and shared local accounts, and restrict interactive logon rights on high-value encrypted machines, accepting the operational overhead this imposes on support staff. There is no reasonable way to disable BitLocker as a mitigation - doing so removes the data-at-rest protection the component provides and increases exposure to physical and offline attacks - and there is no credible network-level control because the vector is AV:L, so prioritize patch deployment by the fixed build thresholds above rather than relying on workarounds.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 20 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 flaw is a classic CWE-367 time-of-check time-of-use race condition inside Windows BitLocker, Microsoft's full-volume encryption component. In a TOCTOU pattern the code validates a security-relevant condition (for example a handle, path, or state associated with an encrypted volume or its key protectors) and then acts on that object in a separate step; if a local attacker can change the object or its state in the gap between check and use, the subsequent operation runs against a state the check never approved, yielding privilege elevation. The BitLocker stack (FVE drivers, the volume master key / key protector handling, and the TPM-backed or PIN-backed unlock paths) is sensitive because it governs whether encryption keys are released and whether volume protections can be modified, which explains the high confidentiality, integrity and availability impact scores. The attack is entirely local and requires an authenticated low-privileged session (PR:L) with no user interaction (UI:N), and the high AC reflects the timing-sensitive, non-deterministic nature of winning the race; SSVC's Automatable=no corroborates that this is not a scriptable, reliable exploit chain.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local low-privileged access (AV:L/PR:L), a non-deterministic race window (AC:H), no UI, and elevation to SYSTEM yielding full triad impact (C:H/I:H/A:H) with unchanged scope.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Time-of-check time-of-use (toctou) race condition in Windows BitLocker allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
A privilege-escalation flaw in Windows BitLocker allows someone who already has a valid low-privileged login on a device to race the encryption driver's permission checks and obtain higher rights, including the ability to read or alter data that BitLocker is meant to protect. Because the attacker must already hold an account and a foothold on the machine, and because the timing window is unreliable, the practical risk is concentrated on shared workstations, kiosks, and VDI or jump hosts where untrusted or lower-trust users share hardware. Leadership should treat this as a scheduled hardening action within the normal Patch Tuesday cycle rather than an incident, since Microsoft patches are available and no public exploit code or active exploitation has been identified.
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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
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EUVD-2026-99578
GHSA-h377-wgp8-rmfw
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB