Windows Runtime affects widespread Windows systems; an 8.8 CVSS local LPE in Windows is broadly relevant to enterprise IT and should be widely circulated.
CVE-2026-50385
Race condition in Windows Runtime allows local privilege escalation.
Is CVE-2026-50385 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-50385 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.26% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-50385?
CVE-2026-50385 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-50385?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-50385. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-50385 affect?
CVE-2026-50385 affects Windows Runtime, Microsoft Windows 10/11, Windows Server (Windows Runtime hosts). Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-50385?
Apply Microsoft updates when released; restrict local accounts and monitor endpoints.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Authorized local attacker can exploit a race condition to elevate privileges (Administrator/SYSTEM), enabling code execution, persistence, or data access.
Patch when possible
- affected>= 10.0.26100.0 and < 10.0.26100.8875
- affected>= 10.0.26200.0 and < 10.0.26200.8875
- affected>= 10.0.28000.0 and < 10.0.28000.2525
- affected>= 10.0.26100.0 and < 10.0.26100.33158
- affected>= 10.0.26100.0 and < 10.0.26100.33158
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.