CVE-2026-32225 — Windows Shell Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability

Executive Summary

Protection mechanism failure in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.

Overview

8.8

CVSS HIGH

Important

MS Severity

Not Exploited

MS Exploit Status

More Likely

MS Exploit Likelihood

Category Security Feature Bypass

Weakness CWE-693: Protection Mechanism Failure

Released Apr 14 2026

Last Updated Apr 14 2026

Publicly Disclosed No

CISA KEV Not Listed

Known Exploits None Known

EPSS Score 0.00908 — 0.56841 percentile

NVD CVSS 8.8 HIGH — matches MSRC

CVSS Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

ATTACK VECTOR

Network

ATTACK COMPLEXITY

Low

PRIVILEGES REQUIRED

None

USER INTERACTION

Required

SCOPE

Unchanged

CONFIDENTIALITY

High

INTEGRITY

High

AVAILABILITY

High

EXPLOIT CODE MATURITY

Unproven

REMEDIATION LEVEL

Official Fix

REPORT CONFIDENCE

Confirmed

Temporal Score: 7.7

EPSS Score

0.00908

probability of exploitation in the next 30 days

0.56841 percentile - updated 2026-08-14

View on FIRST.org

Affected Products

31 affected products

Product	KB Article	Severity	Impact	Restart Required
Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems	`5082198 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems	`5082198 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems	`5082123 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems	`5082123 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 10 Version 21H2 for 32-bit Systems	`5082200 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 10 Version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems	`5082200 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 10 Version 21H2 for x64-based Systems	`5082200 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 10 Version 22H2 for 32-bit Systems	`5082200 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 10 Version 22H2 for ARM64-based Systems	`5082200 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems	`5082200 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 11 Version 23H2 for ARM64-based Systems	`5082052 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64-based Systems	`5082052 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 11 Version 24H2 for ARM64-based Systems	`5083769 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 11 Version 24H2 for x64-based Systems	`5083769 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 11 Version 25H2 for ARM64-based Systems	`5083769 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 11 Version 25H2 for x64-based Systems	`5083769 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 11 Version 26H1 for ARM64-based Systems	`5083768 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows 11 version 26H1 for x64-based Systems	`5083768 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2012	`5082127 (Monthly Rollup)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)	`5082127 (Monthly Rollup)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2012 R2	`5082126 (Monthly Rollup)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)	`5082126 (Monthly Rollup)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2016	`5082198 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)	`5082198 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2019	`5082123 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)	`5082123 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2022	`5082142 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2022 (Server Core installation)	`5082142 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation)	`5082060 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2025	`5082063 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation)	`5082063 (Security Update)`	Important	Security Feature Bypass	Yes

Patches

11 patches

Article	Type	Restart
`5082198`	Security Update	Yes
`5082123`	Security Update	Yes
`5082200`	Security Update	Yes
`5082052`	Security Update	Yes
`5083769`	Security Update	Yes
`5083768`	Security Update	Yes
`5082127`	Monthly Rollup	Yes
`5082126`	Monthly Rollup	Yes
`5082142`	Security Update	Yes
`5082060`	Security Update	Yes
`5082063`	Security Update	Yes

Patch Diff

ghidriff · shell32.dll (KB5083769)

Security feature bypass (CWE-693, protection-mechanism failure) in the Windows Shell shell32.dll Control Panel applet launch path, local. When the shell invokes a Control Panel applet / task, the shell folder callbacks (CControlPanelFolder::CallBack, CTasksFolder::CallBack) resolve the applet from its PIDL and launch it. PRE: they launched the applet WITHOUT verifying its trust - there was no trust/verification query before executing the resolved applet - so a crafted or untrusted Control Panel applet (e.g. one not properly trusted / lacking the expected package or Mark-of-the-Web protection) could be launched, bypassing the intended protection mechanism. Diff of shell32.dll 10.0.26100.8115 -> .8246 (Apr 14 2026, KB5083769) confirms the fix: gated behind CFR flags Feature_485165370 / Feature_1431563577, the callbacks now validate the item (_IsValid), resolve the executable name (GetExecName), and query the IVerifyingTrust service (IUnknown_QueryService(site, IID_IVerifyingTrust, ...) returning an IObjectWithPackageFullName) before launching, and CControlPanelTasks::ExecuteTask switches from ShellExecCmdLine to ShellExecCmdLineWithSite so the site/trust context flows into the launch - restoring the trust-verification protection so untrusted applets are blocked. Note: this April shell32 update fixed several related Windows Shell CVEs in the same Control Panel launch cluster; this record covers the trust-verification (SFB) change, which is the isolable mechanism for CVE-2026-32225.

Pre-patch version 10.0.26100.8115 Download

Post-patch version 10.0.26100.8246 Download

Function	Address	Change	Note
`CControlPanelFolder::CallBack`	`code change`	code (trust verification added before applet launch, CFR-gated)	Post (Feature_485165370/1431563577): _IsValid(pidl) -> GetExecName(pidl,false,buf,0x20b) -> IUnknown_QueryService(*(site+0x20), IID_IVerifyingTrust, &IObjectWithPackageFullName) before launching the applet; untrusted applets are rejected.
`CTasksFolder::CallBack`	`code change`	code (trust verification added, CFR-gated)	Post (Feature_1431563577): IUnknown_QueryService(*(this+0x28), IID_IVerifyingTrust, ...) and _IsValid checks added before executing the task/applet.
`CControlPanelTasks::ExecuteTask`	`code change`	code (site-aware launch)	Switches from ShellExecCmdLine(...) to ShellExecCmdLineWithSite(param_1, cmd, dir, 0) so the site/trust context is carried into the launch.
`Feature_485165370 / Feature_1431563577`	`gate`	added (CFR gate)	CFR flags gating the CPL trust-verification; the original no-verification launch still ships when disabled.

View full diff report View RCA report

Attack Path

The shell launches a Control Panel applet without verifying its trust, bypassing the protection mechanism

Derived from the patch delta: the checks added by the vendor identify which fields crossed a trust boundary unvalidated. Reachability and privilege are taken from the call chain in the RCA report.

Exploits & PoC

No public exploit or PoC has been linked for this CVE yet. When available, references are sourced from public repositories and may be unverified or non-functional — review carefully before use.

Detection Rules

No public Sigma or Nuclei detection rule has been mapped to this CVE yet. Coverage is concentrated on exploited / high-profile vulnerabilities; check SigmaHQ for updates.

Acknowledgments

Jeong Lee with Microsoft

References

MSRC Advisory MITRE NVD