Microsoft Windows SAM Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability

If a Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) shadow copy of the system drive is available, users can read the SAM file which would allow any user to escalate privileges to SYSTEM level.

Published 11 Sep 2026Updated 11 Sep 20263 sources
CVSS 7.8 PoC CANDIDATE△ CISA KEV

What happened

If a Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) shadow copy of the system drive is available, users can read the SAM file which would allow any user to escalate privileges to SYSTEM level.

Affected versions

Windows: See original advisory Fixed: See vendor advisory.

Why it matters

This source correlation may provide earlier visibility while structured CVE metadata is still being updated.

Detection & mitigation

  • Review the original advisory and validate affected versions.
  • Apply vendor-provided updates or mitigations when available.

Public PoC references