CVE-2026-32079
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedExposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor in Windows File Explorer allows an authorized attacker to disclose information locally.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceA vulnerability in Windows File Explorer allows an authorized local attacker to access sensitive information that should not be otherwise accessible. The attacker already has some level of access to the system but can exploit File Explorer's handling of certain file or folder metadata to disclose information beyond their authorized permissions.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 10.0.14393.9060< 10.0.17763.8644< 10.0.19044.7184< 10.0.19045.7184< 10.0.22631.6936< 10.0.26100.8246< 10.0.26200.8246< 10.0.28000.1836CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Windows version numberRun `winver` from the command line, or use `systeminfo` and look at the 'OS Version' line, or check the registry key `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion`Affected if The displayed version is lower than any of these: Windows 10 1607 < 10.0.14393.9060, Windows 10 1809 < 10.0.17763.8644, Windows 10 21h2 < 10.0.19044.7184, Windows 10 22h2 < 10.0.19045.7184, Windows 11 23h2 < 10.0.22631.6936, Windows 11 24h2 < 10.0.26100.8246, Windows 11 25h2 < 10.0.26200.8246, Windo
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Confirm File Explorer componentVerify that File Explorer (explorer.exe) is present and functional on the system - this is the component containing the vulnerabilityAffected if File Explorer is in use (enabled by default on all affected Windows installations)
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Check installed security updatesRun `Get-HotFix` in PowerShell or check Windows Update history to see if the CVE-2026-32079 security update has been installedAffected if The security update for CVE-2026-32079 is not installed and the Windows version falls within the affected ranges above
The system is affected if it runs any of the listed Windows versions below the specified build numbers and the CVE-2026-32079 security update has not been applied.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped10.0.14393.906010.0.17763.864410.0.19044.7184
Apply the appropriate Microsoft Windows security update addressing CVE-2026-32079 through standard Windows Update or patch management deployment.
Upgrade to the latest Windows cumulative update for your version (e.g., Windows 10 22h2: 10.0.19045.7184 or later; Windows 11 23h2: 10.0.22631.6936 or later; Windows 11 24h2: 10.0.26100.8246 or later)
- Open Windows Settings by pressing Win+I
- Navigate to Update & Security > Windows Update
- Click 'Check for updates' to download and install the latest cumulative update
- After installation, restart the computer to complete the patch process
- Verify the installed update by checking the Windows version matches or exceeds the fixed build number for your Windows edition
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,968.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-32079 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-32079 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data