Microsoft Windows iSCSI: Privilege escalation via link following
Summary
A link-following flaw (CWE-59) in the Windows iSCSI component allows privilege escalation. An unauthorized attacker on the network can exploit it to gain higher privileges. Exploitation is rated high complexity and requires user interaction, and the CVSS base score is 7.5. Exposure is mainly relevant for hosts that run the iSCSI Target role or use iSCSI initiators.
Affected
- Windows 10 Version 1607: 10.0.14393.0 before 10.0.14393.9688
- Windows 10 Version 1809: 10.0.17763.0 before 10.0.17763.9487
- Windows 10 Version 21H2: 10.0.19044.0 before 10.0.19044.7846
- Windows 10 Version 22H2: 10.0.19045.0 before 10.0.19045.7846
- Windows 11 Version 23H2: 10.0.22631.0 before 10.0.22631.7711
- Windows 11 Version 24H2: 10.0.26100.0 before 10.0.26100.9974
- Windows 11 Version 25H2: 10.0.26200.0 before 10.0.26200.9974
- Windows 11 Version 26H1: 10.0.28000.0 before 10.0.28000.3501
- Windows 11 Version 26H2: 10.0.26300.0 before 10.0.26300.9974
- Windows Server 2016 (including Server Core): 10.0.14393.0 before 10.0.14393.9688
- Windows Server 2019 (including Server Core): 10.0.17763.0 before 10.0.17763.9487
- Windows Server 2022: 10.0.20348.0 before 10.0.20348.5870
Fixed in
- Fixed in Microsoft's November 2026 security updates for the listed builds.
- KB numbers per build: Unknown, to be confirmed on the MSRC update guide.
Workaround
Unknown. No vendor-specific workaround was found.
- Restrict iSCSI traffic to dedicated storage networks.
Exploitation
- No evidence of active exploitation found at the time of analysis.
- Microsoft rates exploit code maturity as Unproven (E:U).
- No public proof-of-concept found.
- CISA KEV status not verified.
Our recommendation
- Identify hosts with the iSCSI Target role or iSCSI initiators enabled.
- Install the November 2026 cumulative updates on these hosts first.
- Verify that iSCSI traffic is limited to storage networks and is not reachable from the internet.
- Check whether any Windows 10 1607/1809 or other unsupported systems are affected and plan upgrades or ESU.
- Monitor the CISA KEV catalogue and the MSRC page for updates.
Information from Microsoft (Patch Tuesday November 2026)
- Severity (Microsoft)
- Important
- Impact
- Elevation of privilege – Windows iSCSI
- Status on Patch Tuesday
- Neither exploited nor publicly disclosed
- Exploitability assessment
- Exploitation less likely
- Product family
- Windows, Windows ESU (Extended Security Updates)
- Updates (KB)
- KB5131291, KB5131085, KB5131096, KB5131090, KB5131087, KB5132061
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- Microsoft Security Update Guide: CVE-2026-122177 msrc.microsoft.com
- CVE Record CVE-2026-122177 www.cve.org
- Strix: CVE-2026-122177 (third party, unverified) www.strix.ai
- Rapid7: Patch Tuesday November 2026 www.rapid7.com
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 11 Nov 2026, 05:18.
Original description (NVD)
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows iSCSI allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.
NVD references (1)
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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