Vulnerability · Published Oct 13, 2026 · Assigned by microsoft
CVE-2026-85879Windows Subsystem for Linux Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
High 7.0
In plain English
A high-severity security flaw in Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2) from Microsoft. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 12% of all known vulnerabilities).
Severity (CVSS 3.1)7.0High
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 88.2% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsCISA SSVC: none
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known
Official description
Time-of-check time-of-use (toctou) race condition in Windows Subsystem for Linux allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2) | 5.0.0.0 – before 2.7.10 |
Weakness: CWE-367 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
References
- Windows Subsystem for Linux Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability vendor-advisory, patch