CVE-2026-41091 | BDVDB-2026-334231 Detail

MicrosoftMicrosoft Malware Protection Engine

Description#

Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Microsoft Defender allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Impact#

Per CVSS v3.1: confidentiality impact high, integrity impact high, availability impact high. Attack vector: local.

Weaknesses#

CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')

References#

Exploit#

No public exploit known

History#

Version 12026-05-20Record published in the CVE List.
Version 22026-08-10Most recent update recorded in the CVE List.

Published

Published: 2026-05-20
Last modified: 2026-08-10

Vendor information

Vendor: Microsoft
Product: Microsoft Malware Protection Engine

All Microsoft vulnerabilities

Score

7.8 High

EPSS

8.2%, Low

Estimated chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. EPSS percentile: 94.9.

KEV

Yes

Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Impact

Not classified

Action

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Affected Systems

Vulnerable
>= 1.1.0.0 and < 1.1.26040.8
Fixed
1.1.26040.8

Scoring System

CVSS v4.0

Not available

CVSS v3.1

7.8 High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

Metric breakdown
Attack Vector	Local
Attack Complexity	Low
Privileges Required	Low
User Interaction	None
Scope	Unchanged
Confidentiality	High
Integrity	High
Availability	High

CVSS v3.0

Not available

CVSS v2

Not available

Source: CVE List v5 (record); CISA KEV (kev, action); FIRST EPSS (epss).