High

Local privilege escalation via link following in Windows App for Mac

IdentifiersCVE-2026-21517CWE-59· Improper Link Resolution Before…

Improper link resolution before file access ("link following") in Windows App for Mac allows an authorized local attacker to elevate privileges by leveraging symlink/hardlink-style path resolution issues during file access.

For your environment

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

Local privilege escalation for an authorized attacker on the affected system.

PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.

VendorProductType

Microsoft CorporationWindows Appapplication

Microsoft CorporationWindows App For Macapplication

Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

6 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

6 SOURCESView more in app

nsfocus globalNews

Mar 4, 2026

Microsoft’s February Security Update of High-Risk Vulnerability Notice for Multiple Products - NSFOCUS, Inc., a global network and cyber security leader, protects enterprises and carriers from advanced cyber attacks.

A privilege escalation vulnerability affecting the Windows App for Mac Installer.

cyber security newsNews

Feb 10, 2026

Microsoft Patch Tuesday February 2026 - 54 Vulnerabilities Fixed, Including 6 Zero-days

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Windows App for Mac Installer (Windows App for Mac).

bleeping computerNews

Feb 10, 2026

Microsoft February 2026 Patch Tuesday fixes 6 zero-days, 58 flaws

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows App for Mac Installer (no additional details provided in the content).

zerodayinitiative blogNews

Feb 10, 2026

Zero Day Initiative - The February 2026 Security Update Review

An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Windows App for Mac installer.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets are affected, which adversaries are exploiting it right now, which detections to deploy, and what to do tonight.

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Exposure mapping

Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.

Threat actor evidence

Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.

Associated malware

Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity2

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.

EXTERNAL REFERENCES

MITRE CVE

cve.org · CVE-2026-21517

NVD

nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-21517

MITRE CWE · CWE-59

Improper Link Resolution Before File Access…

Vendor Advisory

msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-21517