{"id":"CVE-2026-122174","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2026-122174"],"related":[],"title":"Windows Task Scheduler: link following lets a local user gain elevated privileges","description":"Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Task Scheduler allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.","summary":"Windows Task Scheduler resolves a symbolic or file link before accessing a file, so a logged-in attacker can redirect that access. The sources say an authorized local attacker can use this to elevate privileges.","severity":"high","cvss":7.0,"epss":null,"exploited":false,"exploited_at":null,"products":[{"name":"Windows Task Scheduler","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["infrastructure","task-scheduler","windows"],"not_affected_if":["no-local-untrusted-users"],"how_to_check":null,"fix":null,"status":"open","published_at":"2026-11-10T19:20:35+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:10+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-11-10T19:50:16+00:00","updated_at":"2026-11-10T19:50:16+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.6,"triage":{"at":"2026-11-10T19:50:16Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"unknown","reach":"local","title":"Windows Task Scheduler: link following lets a local user gain elevated privileges","impact":"high","summary":"Windows Task Scheduler resolves a symbolic or file link before accessing a file, so a logged-in attacker can redirect that access. The sources say an authorized local attacker can use this to elevate privileges.","audience":"businesses","category":"infrastructure","nicknames":[],"who_cares":["windows","task-scheduler"],"confidence":0.6,"fix_status":"unknown","needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"local user gains higher privileges on the Windows machine","analyst_note":"Find the Microsoft advisory for CVE-2026-122174 to confirm affected Windows builds, the fixed update and any check method.","how_to_check":"unknown","plain_action":"","product_name":"Windows Task Scheduler","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["no-local-untrusted-users"],"who_is_affected":"Affected systems are Windows machines running the Task Scheduler service, where a local account can reach the file path the scheduler uses. Attack requires a local, authorized account, so shared multi-user hosts and servers with untrusted local users carry the most risk. The sources do not list affected Windows builds or give a fix, so this is unknown.","user_interaction":"no","product_ecosystem":"vendor","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000699,"input_tokens":4493,"output_tokens":500,"severity_before":"high"},"analyst_status":"queued","analyst_note":"Find the Microsoft advisory for CVE-2026-122174 to confirm affected Windows builds, the fixed update and any check method.","search":"'-122174':15A,18A '-2026':14A,17A 'access':37B,49B,68C 'allow':75C 'attack':45B,56B,78C 'author':54B,77C 'cve':13A,16A 'elev':11A,61B,80C 'file':34B,39B,67C 'follow':5A,70C 'gain':10A 'improp':63C 'infrastructur':22B 'let':6A 'link':4A,35B,64C,69C 'local':8A,55B,82C 'log':43B 'logged-in':42B 'privileg':12A,62B,81C 'redirect':47B 'resolut':65C 'resolv':30B 'say':52B 'schedul':3A,25B,29B,74C 'scheduler':21A 'sourc':51B 'symbol':32B 'task':2A,20A,24B,28B,73C 'task-schedul':23B 'use':58B 'user':9A 'window':1A,26B,27B,72C 'windows':19A","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":"Affected systems are Windows machines running the Task Scheduler service, where a local account can reach the file path the scheduler uses. Attack requires a local, authorized account, so shared multi-user hosts and servers with untrusted local users carry the most risk. The sources do not list affected Windows builds or give a fix, so this is unknown.","tier":"B","verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"fix_status":"none","audience":"businesses","plain_action":null,"pkeys":["taskscheduler","windowstaskscheduler"],"ptokens":["scheduler","task","windows"],"labels":["high","infrastructure","taskscheduler","vendor","windows"],"campaign_type":null,"search_a":"'-122174':15A,18A '-2026':14A,17A 'cve':13A,16A 'elev':11A 'follow':5A 'gain':10A 'let':6A 'link':4A 'local':8A 'privileg':12A 'schedul':3A 'scheduler':21A 'task':2A,20A 'user':9A 'window':1A 'windows':19A","search_b":"'access':37B,49B 'attack':45B,56B 'author':54B 'elev':61B 'file':34B,39B 'infrastructur':22B 'link':35B 'local':55B 'log':43B 'logged-in':42B 'privileg':62B 'redirect':47B 'resolv':30B 'say':52B 'schedul':25B,29B 'sourc':51B 'symbol':32B 'task':24B,28B 'task-schedul':23B 'use':58B 'window':26B,27B","search_c":"'access':68C 'allow':75C 'attack':78C 'author':77C 'elev':80C 'file':67C 'follow':70C 'improp':63C 'link':64C,69C 'local':82C 'privileg':81C 'resolut':65C 'schedul':74C 'task':73C 'window':72C","cause_entry":null,"cause_path":null,"disclosures_checked_at":null,"first_public_at":"2026-11-10T19:20:35+00:00","kev":null,"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_by":"secure@microsoft.com","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2026-122174","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-122174","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-11-10T19:20:35+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-10T19:20:35+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:10+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:10+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"disclosures":[],"exploit_sources":[],"notice":"Free to read, with fair use of about 60 pages a minute. For higher limits or API access: sales@infrastack.ai"}