CVE-2026-41092: Microsoft Kinect Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Synopsis

An improper access control vulnerability in the Microsoft Kinect driver component allows a local attacker to elevate privileges on affected Windows systems. The attacker must already have a low-privilege account on the target machine and does not need any network access or victim interaction to trigger it. Successful exploitation gives the attacker full control over the affected system, including reading, modifying, and disrupting any data or processes. Patched-image rebuilds at the fix versions are available on HarborGuard for environments running an affected version of Windows.

HarborGuard Coverage

Exploit Conditions

• Network reachabilityNot required

  The attacker needs an existing shell or process on the host; no network path to the target is required.

• AuthenticationRequired

  Any low-privilege local account is sufficient; the attacker does not need administrator or system-level credentials to begin the attack.

• Victim interactionNot required

  No user action or social engineering is needed; the attacker can trigger the vulnerability entirely on their own.

• Attack complexityDetail

  Attack complexity is low, meaning the exploit is reliable and does not depend on race conditions, memory layout, or other variable environmental factors.

Blast Radius

• Reads any file or secret on the system, including credentials, session tokens, and application data belonging to higher-privileged processes.
• Modifies system files, registry entries, or application data across the host, including security policy configuration.
• Terminates or disrupts any running process or service on the machine, including security tooling and monitoring agents.
• Installs persistent backdoors or alters kernel-level components, giving the attacker durable control over the host.