CVE-2026-35438
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 · uneditedMissing authorization in Windows Admin Center allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.
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 confidenceThis is a missing authorization vulnerability in Windows Admin Center where an authenticated user can bypass intended access controls to perform actions beyond their authorized privilege level. The attacker must have valid credentials to access the system but can exploit the lack of proper authorization checks to escalate privileges.
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< 2511CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H
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.
-
Verify Windows Admin Center installationCheck if Windows Admin Center is installed by looking for the Windows Admin Center service or checking the default installation path C:\Program Files\Windows Admin CenterAffected if Windows Admin Center is installed on the system
-
Check installed Windows Admin Center versionRun 'Get-WmiObject Win32_Product | Where-Object {$_.Name -like "*Windows Admin Center*"} | Select-Object Name, Version' or check the version in the Windows Admin Center UI under Settings > About, or inspect the MSI in Programs and FeaturesAffected if Unable to determine the version indicates potential unpatched installation
-
Compare version against affected rangeCompare your installed version number to the affected range: versions prior to 2511 are vulnerable. The version format is typically like 2409.x.x or 2511.x.xAffected if Installed version is less than 2511 (for example 2409, 2410, 2505, 2510)
-
Verify Windows Admin Center service statusCheck if the Windows Admin Center service is running: Open Services.msc and look for 'Windows Admin Center' service, or run 'Get-Service -Name "WindowsAdminCenter*"' in PowerShellAffected if Service is running and version is less than 2511
A user is affected if Windows Admin Center is installed with a version number less than 2511 and the service is running, allowing an authenticated user to potentially elevate privileges beyond their assigned role permissions.
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 · scoped2511
Apply Microsoft security updates for Windows Admin Center when available. Implement strict role-based access control (RBAC) and verify all API endpoints enforce authorization checks before executing privileged operations.
Windows Admin Center version 2511 or later
- Identify current Windows Admin Center version by checking the installed version in Programs and Features or using the Windows Admin Center diagnostic tools
- Download Windows Admin Center version 2511 or later from the official Microsoft Download Center or Windows Admin Center release page
- Install the update by running the Windows Admin Center installer and following the upgrade prompts
- Verify the installation completed successfully by checking the version number after upgrade
- Restart the Windows Admin Center service if necessary to ensure the fix takes effect
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-35438 — 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-2026-35438 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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