CVE-2026-50364
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 · uneditedImproper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Server Backup allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
In the news
Third-party coverage- Microsoft July 2026 Patch Tuesday fixes massive 570 flaws, 3 zero-days
- Microsoft CVE Summary - Bleeping Computer
Surfaced from public web coverage — external links open in a new tab.
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 link following (symlink/junction point) vulnerability in Windows Server Backup where the software fails to properly validate symbolic links or junction points before accessing files during backup operations. An authorized local attacker can exploit this to manipulate file access patterns and elevate privileges to higher permissions on the affected Windows Server system.
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< 10.0.19044.7548< 10.0.19045.7548< 10.0.26100.8875< 10.0.26200.8875< 10.0.28000.2269< 10.0.28000.2525CVSS 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
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/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.
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Check Windows version and build numberRun 'winver' or 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"' to get the exact Windows version and build. Compare against the affected version ranges: Windows 10 21h2 < 10.0.19044.7548, Windows 10 22h2 < 10.0.19045.7548, Windows 11 24h2 < 10.0.26100.8875, Windows 11 25h2 < 10.0.26200.8875, Windows 11 26h1 < 10.0.28000.2269 or < 10.0.28000.2525Affected if The installed Windows version falls within any of the affected version ranges listed
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Verify Windows Server Backup feature is enabledOpen 'Services' console (services.msc) and check if 'Windows Server Backup' service status is Running or if the feature is installed. Alternatively, run 'wbadmin get disks' to test if backup commands are functionalAffected if Windows Server Backup service exists and is accessible on the system
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Inspect backup destination directories for symlinks or junction pointsUse 'cmd' to navigate to your configured backup destination folders (commonly C:\WindowsImageBackup, D:\Backup, or custom locations). Run 'dir /AL /S' to list all alternate data stream links and junction points recursivelyAffected if Unexpected symlinks or junction points exist in backup directories pointing to sensitive system locations
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Check backup folder permissions for unauthorized modificationRight-click backup directories, go to Properties > Security, and verify that only trusted administrator accounts have Write or Full Control permissions. Run 'icacls <backup_path>' to enumerate effective permissionsAffected if Non-administrator users or untrusted accounts have Write or Modify permissions on backup directories
A system is affected if it runs a vulnerable Windows version in the specified ranges AND has Windows Server Backup feature enabled, with an attacker able to create symlinks/junction points in backup directories.
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 · scoped10.0.19044.754810.0.19045.754810.0.26100.8875
Apply Microsoft security updates for Windows Server Backup when released. In the interim, limit administrative access, monitor for unauthorized symlink/junction creation in backup directories, and restrict backup folder permissions to trusted administrators only.
Apply Microsoft security update from Windows Update (KB reference needed from MSRC)
- Check current Windows build version by running `winver` or `systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"`
- Identify your Windows version (10 21h2, 10 22h2, 11 24h2, 11 25h2, or 11 26h1) from the build number
- Apply the appropriate Microsoft security update for this vulnerability from Windows Update or Microsoft Update Catalog
- After installation, verify the build number matches or exceeds the fixed version: 10.0.19044.7548 (Win10 21h2), 10.0.19045.7548 (Win10 22h2), 10.0.26100.8875 (Win11 24h2), 10.0.26200.8875 (Win11 25h2), or 10.0.28000.2525 (Win11 26h1)
- Restart the system as prompted to complete the update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-50364 — 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-2026-50364 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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