CVE-2026-20930
7.8Microsoft · Windows Management Services
A race condition vulnerability in Windows Management Services allows an authenticated local attacker to achieve privilege escalation through improper synchronization of shared resources.
Executive summary
A race condition vulnerability in Windows Management Services allows an authenticated local user to escalate privileges on affected Microsoft Windows systems, posing a significant security risk.
Vulnerability
This vulnerability is a race condition (CWE-362) within Windows Management Services. It requires the attacker to be an authenticated user on the local system to trigger the flaw, which occurs due to improper synchronization of shared resources.
Business impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability allows an attacker to gain elevated privileges on the target system. Given the CVSS score of 7.8, this represents a high-severity risk, as it could facilitate full system compromise, data theft, or the installation of persistent malicious software. Organizations should prioritize patching to prevent local attackers from bypassing security boundaries.
Remediation
Immediate Action: Apply the relevant security updates provided by Microsoft in the official update guide to remediate the vulnerable service versions.
Proactive Monitoring: Review system logs for unusual process execution patterns or signs of unauthorized privilege escalation attempts by existing local user accounts.
Compensating Controls: Ensure that strict least-privilege policies are enforced for all local user accounts to limit the potential for an attacker to reach the vulnerable service.
Exploitation status
Public Exploit Available: No (exploit_available: false)
Analyst recommendation
The risk of privilege escalation necessitates the prompt application of vendor patches. IT administrators should verify the build numbers of their Windows installations against the provided affected versions and deploy the necessary security updates immediately to mitigate potential unauthorized access to system-level functions.
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Sources
- Windows Management Services Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability Vendor advisory