CVE-2026-21231CWE-362

Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

High · published February 10, 2026

CVSS v3.1
7.8
EPSS
3%
Percentile
84.9
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

⚡ An insider's playground! A race condition in the Windows Kernel lets authorized attackers elevate their privileges with just the right timing. 🔥 Think of it like two restaurant chefs trying to prepare the same dish at the same time without properly coordinating their efforts — if one chef grabs the last ingredient first, they can change the whole recipe! This race condition allows an authorized attacker to cut in line and gain access to elevated permissions. This could lead to absolutely devastating consequences, allowing an attacker to perform actions with administrative rights, access sensitive data, or even install malicious software. The attacker essentially becomes the chef in charge of the kitchen, with the ability to control everything inside the system!

Put simply

Think of it like two restaurant chefs trying to prepare the same dish at the same time without properly coordinating their efforts — if one chef grabs the last ingredient first, they can change the whole recipe! This race condition allows an authorized attacker to cut in line and gain access to elevated permissions. The vulnerability arises from improper synchronization in the Windows Kernel during concurrent execution, allowing authorized users to exploit this timing issue to gain higher privileges than intended.

What to do

This could lead to absolutely devastating consequences, allowing an attacker to perform actions with administrative rights, access sensitive data, or even install malicious software. The attacker essentially becomes the chef in charge of the kitchen, with the ability to control everything inside the system! To mitigate this vulnerability, ensure your system is updated with the latest security patches from Microsoft. Additionally, review user permissions carefully, and monitor for any unusual system activity. Staying proactive is key! You've got this! By taking these steps, you'll tighten up your defenses and help keep your systems safe. 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
7.8 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.02556 · 84.9th percentile
Weakness
CWE-362 · Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')
Published
2026-02-10T17:51Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 10 FEB 17:51Z
    Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
    cvelistv5