Actively exploited · Published Apr 14, 2026 · Assigned by microsoft
CVE-2026-33825Microsoft Defender Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
High 7.8 Exploited Ransomware
In plain English
A high-severity security flaw in Microsoft Defender Antimalware Platform from Microsoft. Attackers are actively exploiting it in the wild (listed by CISA on April 22, 2026). It has been used in ransomware campaigns. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 6.7% (higher than 94% of all known vulnerabilities). Ready-made attack tooling exists: public proof-of-concept code. Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
CISA guidance
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Federal agencies must remediate by May 6, 2026.
Official description
Insufficient granularity of access control in Microsoft Defender allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Microsoft Defender Antimalware Platform | 4.0.0.0 – before 4.18.26030.3011 |
Weakness: CWE-1220 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C
References
- Microsoft Defender Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability vendor-advisory, patch
- https://www.huntress.com/blog/nightmare-eclipse-intrusion third-party-advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-33825 government-resource