Main Vulnerability Database Vulnerabilities #VU121437

Race condition in Microsoft Windows and Windows Server - CVE-2026-20808

Published: January 14, 2026

Vulnerability identifier: #VU121437

CSH Severity: Low

CVSS v4: 7.3 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]

CVE-ID: CVE-2026-20808

CWE-ID: CWE-362

Exploitation vector: Local access

Exploit availability: No public exploit available

Vulnerability details

The vulnerability allows a local user to escalate privileges on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to a race condition in Windows File Explorer. A local user can exploit the race and escalate privileges on the system.

Affected software

Microsoft Windows
Windows Server

How to mitigate CVE-2026-20808

Install updates from vendor's website.

Microsoft Windows - addressed in versions 10 1607 10.0.14393.8783, 11 24H2 10.0.26100.7623
Windows Server - addressed in versions 2022 23H2 10.0.25398.2092, 2025 10.0.26100.7623, 2025 10.0.26100.32230

External References

https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-20808

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