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Privacy Statement Third-Party Cookies Accept Reject Manage cookies MSRC  Customer Guidance  Security Update Guide  Vulnerabilities  CVE-2026-35438 Windows Admin Center Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability New On this page  CVE-2026-35438  Subscribe RSS PowerShell  API  CSAF Security Vulnerability Released: May 12, 2026 Assigning CNA Microsoft CVE.org link CVE-2026-35438  Impact Elevation of Privilege Max Severity Important Weakness CWE-862: Missing Authorization CVSS Source Microsoft Vector String CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C Metrics CVSS:3.1 8.3 / 7.2  Base score metrics: 8.3 / Temporal score metrics: 7.2  Expand all  Collapse all Metric Value   Base score metrics(8) Attack Vector Network Attack Complexity Low Privileges Required Low User Interaction None Scope Unchanged Confidentiality Low Integrity High Availability High   Temporal score metrics(3) Exploit Code Maturity Unproven Remediation Level Official Fix Report Confidence Confirmed Please see Common Vulnerability Scoring System for more information on the definition of these metrics. Executive Summary Missing authorization in Windows Admin Center allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network. Exploitability The following table provides an exploitability assessment for this vulnerability at the time of original publication. Publicly disclosed No Exploited No Exploitability assessment Exploitation Less Likely FAQ According to the CVSS metrics, successful exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to a minor loss of confidentiality (C:L), but major integrity (I:H), and availability (A:H). What does that mean for this vulnerability? Successful exploitation primarily allows a low-privileged attacker to perform unauthorized actions that affect the system’s integrity and availability. Specifically, the attacker could install an arbitrary available Windows Admin Center version from the update catalog, which can overwrite or alter the existing installation and disrupt normal operation. This is why integrity and availability are rated as high impact. The impact to confidentiality is considered limited because exploitation does not directly expose sensitive information. However, there is a potential for indirect confidentiality impact if the attacker installs a version that contains known information disclosure issues or weaker security protections. What privileges could be gained by an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability? An authenticated attacker with low privileges could gain the ability to perform actions that should require higher‑level permissions. Specifically, they could install an arbitrary available Windows Admin Center version from the update catalog. This includes reinstalling the current version, installing older versions, or installing any other available version that is not the latest—including versions that may contain known vulnerabilities. This effectively allows the attacker to make unauthorized changes to the software configuration beyond what their assigned access level is intended to permit. How could an attacker exploit this vulnerability? An authenticated attacker with low‑privileged access could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted request to the affected Windows Admin Center update API, allowing them to perform actions that their assigned permissions should not normally permit. Acknowledgements sho odagiri with GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae inc https://gmo-cybersecurity.com/ Microsoft recognizes the efforts of those in the security community who help us protect customers through coordinated vulnerability disclosure. See Acknowledgements for more information. Security Updates To determine the support lifecycle for your software, see the Microsoft Support Lifecycle. Release date Descending  Edit columns  Download  Filters  Product Family  Max Severity  Impact  Platform   Clear Release date  Product Platform Impact Max Severity Article Download Build Number Assigning CNA Customer Action Required Title: Release date, Content: May 12, 2026 Windows Admin Center - Elevation of Privilege Important Title: Knowledge Base Articles for Windows Admin Center, Content:, 1 link Release Notes  Title: Download Security Update for Windows Admin Center, Content:, 1 link Security Update  Title: Build numbers, Content: 2.6.5.16 Title: Assigning CNA, Content: Microsoft Title: Customer action required, Content: Required All results loaded Loaded all 1 rows Disclaimer The information provided in the Microsoft Knowledge Base is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Microsoft disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall Microsoft Corporation or its suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, loss of business profits or special damages, even if Microsoft Corporation or its suppliers have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages so the foregoing limitation may not apply. Revisions version revisionDate description 1.0 May 12, 2026 Information published.  How satisfied are you with the MSRC Security Update Guide? Rating  Broken  Bad  Below average  Average  Great!  Your Privacy Choices Consumer Health Privacy