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CVE-2026-81963 is an Important-rated elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in the Windows Update Stack. The flaw results from improper link resolution before file access (link following), allowing file operations to be redirected through a link under attacker control. An authorized local attacker can exploit the condition to elevate privileges to SYSTEM. Microsoft reported exploitation in the wild prior to public disclosure.
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What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
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No public exploits tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.
No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.
36 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
An actively exploited Windows Update Stack local elevation-of-privilege vulnerability that permits a locally positioned attacker to obtain SYSTEM privileges.
A Microsoft security-update vulnerability added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; the content does not specify the affected product or vulnerability type.
An actively exploited elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in the Windows Update Stack caused by improper link resolution before file access.
A CVSS 7.8 Windows Update Stack privilege-escalation vulnerability that was actively exploited before public disclosure and addressed by Microsoft.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.