CVE-2026-21510
CVE-2026-21510 — Windows Shell Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
Protection mechanism failure in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.
Published Updated Sources: NVD, Microsoft (CNA), CISA, FIRST EPSS, SOCRadar CTI
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.
Exploitation
Confirmed
CISA KEV, listed Feb 10, 2026
EPSS
26%
ahead of 98% of scored CVEs
CVSS base
8.8
high · 2 sources
CISA SSVC assessment
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses · SSVC 2.0.3. A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Exploitation
Active
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
No
can an attacker script all four kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Total
partial · total control of the vulnerable component
Remediation
The vendor's own words where we have them.
Upgrade Windows 10 Version 1607 to a fixed release. Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Federal deadline Mar 3, 2026 — passed 199 days ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.
- Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
- Treat as emergency remediation because CISA KEV status is present.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Windows 10 Version 1607 | 10.0.14393.0 to < 10.0.14393.8868 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows 10 Version 1809 | 10.0.17763.0 to < 10.0.17763.8389 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows 10 Version 21H2 | 10.0.19044.0 to < 10.0.19044.6937 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows 10 Version 22H2 | 10.0.19045.0 to < 10.0.19045.6937 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows 11 version 22H3 | 10.0.22631.0 to < 10.0.22631.6649 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows 11 Version 23H2 | 10.0.22631.0 to < 10.0.22631.6649 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows 11 Version 24H2 | 10.0.26100.0 to < 10.0.26100.7840 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows 11 Version 25H2 | 10.0.26200.0 to < 10.0.26200.7840 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows 11 version 26H1 | 10.0.28000.0 to < 10.0.28000.1575 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows 11 Version 26H1 | 10.0.28000.0 to < 10.0.28000.1575 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2012 | 6.2.9200.0 to < 6.2.9200.25923 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) | 6.2.9200.0 to < 6.2.9200.25923 | Vulnerable |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Availability
High
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Scope
Unchanged
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Vector
Network
Privileges Req
None
User Interaction
Required
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | high | 2.8 | 5.9 | Microsoft (CNA) |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | high | — | — | Microsoft (CNA) |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
What this weakness leads to
MITRE's own consequences and mitigations for the weakness class — the authority's wording, not guidance derived from the CVSS vector.
CWE-693 · Protection Mechanism Failure
- Bypass Protection Mechanism::
Weakness & attack patterns
- CWE-693
Attack patterns reported against this CVE. The ATT&CK techniques below are inferred from its weakness class.
- T1574.010Hijack Execution Flow: ServicesFile Permissions Weakness
- T1083File and Directory Discovery
- T1574.005Hijack Execution Flow: Executable Installer File Permissions Weakness
CISA KEV details
CISA lists a CVE here once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
Listed
Feb 10, 2026
Federal deadline
Mar 3, 2026
passed 199 days ago
Ransomware use
Unknown
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a date to argue against.
Public exploit
Capability, not use: code existing is a different claim from anyone running it.
Repositories
3
1 of the 3 sampled are weaponized
Exploit entries
2
Exploit-DB and CTI exploit indexes
Social mentions
Posts naming this CVE. Attention, not evidence of exploitation — it spikes on disclosure and decays whether or not anything is exploited.
06:14 UTC: Lyrie Sentinel flagged it. TL;DR CVE-2026-32202 is a zero-click authentication coercion vulnerability in Windows Shell, confirmed actively exploited as of April 28, 2026 Root cause: Microsoft's February 2026 fix for APT28's LNK exploit (CVE-2026-21510) blocked…
@lyrie_ai· Jun 15, 2026
06:25 UTC: Thread live on @lyrie_ai. TL;DR CVE-2026-32202 is a zero-click authentication coercion vulnerability in Windows Shell, confirmed actively exploited as of April 28, 2026 Root cause: Microsoft's February 2026 fix for APT28's LNK exploit (CVE-2026-21510) blocked…
@lyrie_ai· Jun 15, 2026
09:11 UTC: First exploit attempt in the wild. TL;DR CVE-2026-32202 is a zero-click authentication coercion vulnerability in Windows Shell, confirmed actively exploited as of April 28, 2026 Root cause: Microsoft's February 2026 fix for APT28's LNK exploit (CVE-2026-21510)…
@lyrie_ai· Jun 15, 2026
Unpopular opinion: The cybersecurity industry is selling you dashboards. A Russian military intelligence group (APT28 / Fancy Bear) exploited two Windows Shell vulnerabilities — CVE-2026-21510 and CVE-2026-21513 — against Ukraine and EU targets beginning in December 2025.
@lyrie_ai· Jun 15, 2026
Unpopular opinion: The cybersecurity industry is selling you dashboards. A February 2026 Patch Tuesday fix for an APT28-weaponised Windows Shell zero-day (CVE-2026-21510) was incomplete.
@lyrie_ai· Jun 15, 2026
35 more posts on this CVEShowing 5 of 40 · Who is discussing this CVE, and how loudlyUnlock freeDetection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for network-reachable Windows 10 Version 1607, Windows 10 Version 1809, Windows 10 Version 21H2, Windows 10 Version 22H2, Windows 11 version 22H3, Windows 11 Version 23H2, Windows 11 Version 24H2, Windows 11 Version 25H2, Windows 11 version 26H1, Windows 11 Version 26H1, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2025, Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation).
- Monitor for scanner or exploit-pattern traffic after 5 public PoC repositories were reported.
Groups associated with this CVE
Groups reported in connection with this vulnerability. A reported association, not a confirmed observation of that group using it — and not scoped to any sector or campaign.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.
- 2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 8.8 (AV:N)
Jun 17, 2026 · NVD
Cve is exploited EpSiLoNPoInTOrI/EpSiLoNPoInTlnk
May 10, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
Added to CISA KEV catalog
Feb 10, 2026 · CISA
Initial · CVE published
Feb 10, 2026 · NVD
Source activity
Readings a source repeats on a schedule, counted rather than listed.
- 29×SVRS was changedMay 12, 2026 – Jul 5, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
- 8×TweetsMay 14, 2026 – Jun 16, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
- 1×Github_Repos · Github repository created, EpSiLoNPoInTOrI/EpSiLoNPoInTlnkMay 9, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
References
3 on the record
- msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-21510
Vendor Advisory, NIST, Mitre
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-21510
US Government Resource
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-21510
Vendor Advisory
Coverage
18 stories from the feeds we poll
CISA adds Microsoft, ConnectWise vulnerabilities to active exploitation catalog - Cybersecurity Dive
cybersecuritydive.com · Apr 29, 2026
The February 2026 Security Update Review
thezdi.com · Feb 10, 2026
Microsoft Patches 59 Vulnerabilities Including Six Actively Exploited Zero-Days - The Hacker News
thehackernews.com · Feb 11, 2026
6 Actively Exploited Zero-Days Patched by Microsoft With February 2026 Updates - SecurityWeek
securityweek.com · Feb 10, 2026
February 2026 Patch Tuesday includes six actively exploited zero-days - Malwarebytes
malwarebytes.com · Feb 11, 2026
13 more reports on this CVEShowing 5 of 18 · Vendor research and security press coverageUnlock freeElsewhere on this site
- Microsoftevery CVE for this vendor
- February 2026what else CISA listed
- Unclassifiedsame class
- CWE-693other pages naming this weakness
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record1
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-21510 is Windows Shell Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability, a high vulnerability affecting Windows 10 Version 1607, Windows 10 Version 1809, Windows 10 Version 21H2, Windows 10 Version 22H2, Windows 11 version 22H3, Windows 11 Version 23H2, Windows 11 Version 24H2, Windows 11 Version 25H2, Windows 11 version 26H1, Windows 11 Version 26H1, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2025, Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) from Microsoft. The current evidence lists it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Yes: CISA KEV signal present. Public exploit evidence is: 5 public PoC repositories reported; 1 marked weaponized in current dataset. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 8.8 describes technical severity, while EPSS 26% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.