Protection Mechanism Failure in Microsoft Windows and Windows Server - CVE-2026-20824
Published: January 13, 2026
Vulnerability identifier: #VU121333
CSH Severity: Medium
CVSS v4: 6.7 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2026-20824
CWE-ID: CWE-693
Exploitation vector: Remote access
Exploit availability:
No public exploit available
Vulnerability details
The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to bypass implemented security restrictions.
The vulnerability exists due to insufficient implementation of security measures in Windows Remote Assistance. A remote attacker can trick a victim to open a specially crafted file and evade Mark of the Web (MOTW) defenses.
Affected software
Microsoft Windows
Windows Server
Windows Server
How to mitigate CVE-2026-20824
Install updates from vendor's website.
Microsoft Windows - addressed in versions 10 21H2 10.0.19044.6809, 10 22H2 10.0.19045.6809, 10 1607 10.0.14393.8783, 10 1809 10.0.17763.8276, 11 23H2 10.0.22631.6491, 11 24H2 10.0.26100.7623
Windows Server - addressed in versions 2012 R2 6.3.9600.22968, 2012 6.2.9200.25868, 2016 10.0.14393.8783, 2019 10.0.17763.8276, 2022 23H2 10.0.25398.2092, 2022 10.0.20348.4648, 2025 10.0.26100.7623, 2025 10.0.26100.32230
Windows Server - addressed in versions 2012 R2 6.3.9600.22968, 2012 6.2.9200.25868, 2016 10.0.14393.8783, 2019 10.0.17763.8276, 2022 23H2 10.0.25398.2092, 2022 10.0.20348.4648, 2025 10.0.26100.7623, 2025 10.0.26100.32230