// #privilege-escalation
32 articles — page 2 of 2
CISA Confirms Active Exploitation of Windows Task Host Privilege Escalation CVE-2025-60710 — Four Public Exploits Available
A link-following flaw in the Windows Host Process for Tasks allows any local user to escalate to SYSTEM privileges. Patched in November 2025, CVE-2025-60710 has been confirmed as actively exploited — CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 13 April with a 27 April federal deadline. Four public proof-of-concept exploits are now freely available on GitHub.
OpenSSH 10.3 Patches CVE-2026-35385 — SCP Privilege Escalation via Setuid Bit Preservation
OpenSSH 10.3 fixes CVE-2026-35385 (CVSS 7.5), a privilege escalation flaw in the legacy SCP protocol where files downloaded as root without the -p flag may retain their setuid or setgid bits. Any Linux or macOS system with OpenSSH prior to 10.3 and a workflow involving scp downloads as root is affected.
Linux Kernel Netfilter Vulnerability Batch: CVE-2026-31414 and Cluster Require Prompt Patching
A cluster of Linux kernel vulnerabilities in the netfilter subsystem — led by CVE-2026-31414 — has been patched across stable kernel branches, affecting versions 6.1 through 6.10. The flaws span NULL pointer dereferences and connection tracking weaknesses that can cause privilege escalation or denial of service. Enterprise Linux distributions are releasing updates; unmanaged servers and container hosts running custom kernel builds require manual attention.
BlueHammer Windows LPE Zero-Day Gives Attackers SYSTEM Access — No Patch Available
A publicly disclosed zero-day local privilege escalation vulnerability in Windows Defender's signature-update mechanism allows any authenticated user to escalate to SYSTEM. Named BlueHammer by researchers at Cyderes, the flaw has a working public exploit and no Microsoft patch as of publication. Security teams should implement interim mitigations immediately.
Fortinet FortiClient EMS Zero-Day CVE-2026-35616 Actively Exploited — Apply Emergency Hotfix Now
A critical pre-authentication API bypass in Fortinet FortiClient EMS (CVSS 9.1) is being actively exploited in the wild, with CISA adding the vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 6 April. Organisations running FortiClient EMS 7.4.5 or 7.4.6 must apply the emergency hotfix immediately — FCEB agencies faced a remediation deadline of 9 April.
Linux Kernel AP VLAN Flaw CVE-2026-31394 Allows Privilege Escalation in Virtualised and Cloud Environments
CVE-2026-31394 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in the Linux kernel's AP VLAN (access point virtual LAN) network driver. Highlighted in Microsoft's Windows Update security reference guide and tracked by multiple Linux distributions, the flaw allows a local user with network namespace access to escalate privileges. Virtual machine hosts, Kubernetes nodes, and container infrastructure are the highest-risk deployment contexts.
Dell iDRAC Service Module CVE-2026-23856 Allows Local Privilege Escalation on PowerEdge Servers
Dell has patched CVE-2026-23856, a privilege escalation vulnerability in the iDRAC Service Module (iSM) shipped with PowerEdge servers. A local attacker with standard user privileges can exploit improper access controls in the iSM — which runs with elevated system privileges to communicate with the hardware management interface — to elevate to SYSTEM or root. Updated iSM packages are available for both Windows and Linux.
Active Directory Privilege Escalation CVE-2026-25177 Added to CISA KEV — Domain Admin Risk via SPN Abuse
CVE-2026-25177, a privilege escalation vulnerability in Active Directory Domain Services patched in March's Patch Tuesday, has been added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue. An authenticated attacker with low-privileged domain credentials can exploit improper SPN and UPN name validation to escalate to domain administrator level. The KEV addition confirms in-the-wild exploitation approximately three weeks after patching was available.