CVE-2026-41091

Microsoft Malware Protection Engine

Published 20 May 2026 · updated 24 Jul 2026 · Analyzed

7.8 High · CVSS 3.1, microsoft.com

Exploited in the wild

CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 20 May 2026, with a remediation deadline of 3 Jun 2026 for US federal agencies.

Required 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.

Description

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

References

msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-41091 · Vendor Advisory
www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-41091 · Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource