CVE-2026-21510
published 2026-02-10CVE-2026-21510: Protection mechanism failure in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.
PriorityP188high8.8CVSS 3.1
AVNACLPRNUIRSUCHIHAH
KEVITW
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilitydue 2026-03-03
Exploited in the wild
EPSS
25.84%
97.7th percentile
Protection mechanism failure in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.
Affected
42 ranges· showing 25
| Vendor | Product | Version range | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| microsoft | windows_10_1607 | < 10.0.14393.8868 | 10.0.14393.8868 |
| microsoft | windows_10_1809 | < 10.0.17763.8389 | 10.0.17763.8389 |
| microsoft | windows_10_21h2 | < 10.0.19044.6937 | 10.0.19044.6937 |
| microsoft | windows_10_22h2 | < 10.0.19045.6937 | 10.0.19045.6937 |
| microsoft | windows_10_version_1607 | >= 10.0.14393.0 < 10.0.14393.8868 | 10.0.14393.8868 |
| microsoft | windows_10_version_1809 | >= 10.0.17763.0 < 10.0.17763.8389 | 10.0.17763.8389 |
| microsoft | windows_10_version_21h2 | >= 10.0.19044.0 < 10.0.19044.6937 | 10.0.19044.6937 |
| microsoft | windows_10_version_22h2 | >= 10.0.19045.0 < 10.0.19045.6937 | 10.0.19045.6937 |
| microsoft | windows_11_23h2 | < 10.0.22631.6649 | 10.0.22631.6649 |
| microsoft | windows_11_24h2 | < 10.0.26100.7781 | 10.0.26100.7781 |
| microsoft | windows_11_25h2 | < 10.0.26200.7781 | 10.0.26200.7781 |
| microsoft | windows_11_version_22h3 | >= 10.0.22631.0 < 10.0.22631.6649 | 10.0.22631.6649 |
| microsoft | windows_11_version_23h2 | >= 10.0.22631.0 < 10.0.22631.6649 | 10.0.22631.6649 |
| microsoft | windows_11_version_24h2 | >= 10.0.26100.0 < 10.0.26100.7840 | 10.0.26100.7840 |
| microsoft | windows_11_version_25h2 | >= 10.0.26200.0 < 10.0.26200.7840 | 10.0.26200.7840 |
| microsoft | windows_11_version_26h1 | >= 10.0.28000.0 < 10.0.28000.1575 | 10.0.28000.1575 |
| microsoft | windows_server_2012 | — | — |
| microsoft | windows_server_2012 | >= 6.2.9200.0 < 6.2.9200.25923 | 6.2.9200.25923 |
| microsoft | windows_server_2012_r2 | >= 6.3.9600.0 < 6.3.9600.23022 | 6.3.9600.23022 |
| microsoft | windows_server_2016 | < 10.0.14393.8868 | 10.0.14393.8868 |
| microsoft | windows_server_2016 | >= 10.0.14393.0 < 10.0.14393.8868 | 10.0.14393.8868 |
| microsoft | windows_server_2019 | < 10.0.17763.8389 | 10.0.17763.8389 |
| microsoft | windows_server_2019 | >= 10.0.17763.0 < 10.0.17763.8389 | 10.0.17763.8389 |
| microsoft | windows_server_2022 | < 10.0.20348.4711 | 10.0.20348.4711 |
| microsoft | windows_server_2022 | >= 10.0.20348.0 < 10.0.20348.4773 | 10.0.20348.4773 |
Detection & IOCsextracted from sources · hover to see the quote
- →Hunt for auto-parsed LNK files that trigger SMB connections without user interaction — the exploit requires no click from the victim to initiate NTLM authentication to the attacker's server. ↗
- →Alert on Net-NTLMv2 hash capture attempts originating from Windows Shell / LNK file processing, which may indicate exploitation of CVE-2026-21510 or its incomplete-patch follow-on CVE-2026-32202. ↗
- →Attribute LNK-based SmartScreen bypass activity to APT28 (Fancy Bear / Forest Blizzard / GruesomeLarch / Pawn Storm) when targeting Ukraine and EU nations, as this group chained CVE-2026-21510 with CVE-2026-21513 (MSHTML Framework bypass). ↗
- →Flag opening of specially crafted LNK or shortcut files as a potential trigger for CVE-2026-21510 exploitation — user interaction is limited to opening the file. ↗
- ·CVE-2026-21510 was patched in February 2026 (KB articles listed in MSRC advisory), but the patch was incomplete — it mitigated RCE but left an authentication coercion path (CVE-2026-32202) that was only addressed in April 2026. Ensure both patches are applied. ↗
- ·CVE-2026-21510 was exploited as a zero-day chained with CVE-2026-21513 (MSHTML Framework Security Feature Bypass, CVSS 8.8, also fixed February 2026); both must be patched together to fully remediate the APT28 exploit chain. ↗
- ·CISA KEV remediation deadline for CVE-2026-21510 was 2026-03-03; FCEB agencies must verify compliance. ↗
CVSS provenance
nvdv3.18.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vulncheck8.8HIGH
cisa8.8HIGH
vendor_msrc8.8HIGH
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GHSA
GHSA-q6v4-4w5r-j7hr: Protection mechanism failure in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network
ghsa_unreviewed·2026-02-10
CVE-2026-21510 [HIGH] CWE-693 GHSA-q6v4-4w5r-j7hr: Protection mechanism failure in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network
Protection mechanism failure in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.
VulnCheck
Microsoft Windows Shell Protection Mechanism Failure Vulnerability
vulncheck·2026·CVSS 8.8
CVE-2026-21510 [HIGH] CWE-693 Microsoft Windows Shell Protection Mechanism Failure Vulnerability
Microsoft Windows Shell Protection Mechanism Failure Vulnerability
Microsoft Windows Shell contains a protection mechanism failure vulnerability that could allow an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.
Affected: Microsoft Windows
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.
Exploitation References: https://api.msrc.microsoft.com/cvrf/v3.0/cvrf/2026-Feb; https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lkNJ0uQwbeC1ZTRrxdtuPLCIl7mlUreoKfSIgajnSyY/edit; https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-21510; https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json; https://www.recordedfuture.
CISA
Microsoft Windows Shell Protection Mechanism Failure Vulnerability
cisa·2026-02-10·CVSS 8.8
CVE-2026-21510 [HIGH] CWE-693 Microsoft Windows Shell Protection Mechanism Failure Vulnerability
Vulnerability: Microsoft Windows Shell Protection Mechanism Failure Vulnerability
Affected: Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows Shell contains a protection mechanism failure vulnerability that could allow an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.
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.
Notes: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-21510 ; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-21510
Remediation Due Date: 2026-03-03
Microsoft
Windows Shell Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
vendor_msrc·2026-02-10·CVSS 8.8
CVE-2026-21510 [HIGH] CWE-693 Windows Shell Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
Windows Shell Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
Description: Protection mechanism failure in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.
FAQ: According to the CVSS metric, user interaction is required (UI:R). What interaction would the user have to do?
To successfully exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must convince a user to open a malicious link or shortcut file.
FAQ: What kind of security feature could be bypassed by successfully exploiting this vulnerability?
An attacker could bypass Windows SmartScreen and Windows Shell security prompts by exploiting improper handling in Windows Shell components, allowing attacker‑controlled content to execute without user warning or consent.
Windows Shell: Windows Shell
Microsoft: Microsoft
No detection rules found.
No public exploits indexed.
Hackernews
CISA Adds Actively Exploited ConnectWise and Windows Flaws to KEV
blogs_hackernews·2026-04-29·CVSS 8.4
CVE-2024-1708 [HIGH] CISA Adds Actively Exploited ConnectWise and Windows Flaws to KEV
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## CISA Adds Actively Exploited ConnectWise and Windows Flaws to KEV
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Tuesday added two security flaws impacting ConnectWise ScreenConnect and Microsoft Windows to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities ( KEV ) catalog, based on evidence of active exploitation.
The vulnerabilities are listed below -
CVE-2024-1708 (CVSS score: 8.4) - A path traversal vulnerability in ConnectWise ScreenConnect that could allow an attacker to execute remote code or directly impact confidential data and critical systems. (Fixed in February 2024)
CVE-2026-32202 (CVSS score: 4.3) - A p
Hackernews
Microsoft Confirms Active Exploitation of Windows Shell CVE-2026-32202
blogs_hackernews·2026-04-28·CVSS 8.8
CVE-2026-32202 [HIGH] Microsoft Confirms Active Exploitation of Windows Shell CVE-2026-32202
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## Microsoft Confirms Active Exploitation of Windows Shell CVE-2026-32202
Microsoft on Monday revised its advisory for a now-patched, high-severity security flaw impacting Windows Shell to acknowledge that it has been actively exploited in the wild.
The vulnerability in question is CVE-2026-32202 (CVSS score: 4.3), a spoofing vulnerability that could allow an attacker to access sensitive information. It was addressed as part of its Patch Tuesday update for this month.
"Protection mechanism failure in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to perform spoofing over a network," Microsoft noted in an alert. "An attacker wou
Tenable
Operation Epic Fury: Why exposure data changes everything about Iran's cyber-kinetic campaign
blogs_tenable·2026-03-17
Operation Epic Fury: Why exposure data changes everything about Iran's cyber-kinetic campaign
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Tenable
Operation Epic Fury: cyber threat data in the Iran War
blogs_tenable·2026-03-17·CVSS 7.8
[HIGH] Operation Epic Fury: cyber threat data in the Iran War
Blog / Cyber Exposure Alerts
Subscribe
# Operation Epic Fury: Why exposure data changes everything about Iran's cyber-kinetic campaign
Robert Huber
March 17, 2026
13 Min Read
Iran's retaliatory campaign following Operation Epic Fury has collapsed the boundary between physical and digital warfare. Tenable's exposure data analysis across seven target countries reveals that the largest exploitable attack surface isn't the headline threat, it's a Microsoft Word N-day affecting nearly 14 million assets.
## Key takeaways:
1. Exposure data rebalances the threat picture. A Microsoft Word N-day (CVE-2026-21514) accounts for nearly 14 million of the 15.5 million affected assets across the seven target countries, two orders of magnitude more than the conflict's headline threats. Organizations
Checkpoint
16th February – Threat Intelligence Report
blogs_checkpoint·2026-02-16
CVE-2026-21510 16th February – Threat Intelligence Report
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Dutch telecom provider Odido was hit by a data breach following unauthorized access to its customer management system. Attackers extracted personal data of 6.2 million customers, including names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, bank account details, dates of birth, and passport or ID numbers.
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Sophos
February’s Patch Tuesday assumes battle stations
blogs_sophos·2026-02-13
February’s Patch Tuesday assumes battle stations
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Qualys
Microsoft and Adobe Patch Tuesday, February 2026 Security Update Review
blogs_qualys·2026-02-10
Microsoft and Adobe Patch Tuesday, February 2026 Security Update Review
## Table of Contents
Microsoft Patch Tuesday forFebruary2026
Adobe Patches for February 2026
Zero-day Vulnerabilities Patched inFebruaryPatch Tuesday Edition
Critical Severity Vulnerabilities Patched inFebruaryPatch Tuesday Edition
Other Microsoft Vulnerability Highlights
Microsoft Release Summary
Discover and Prioritize Vulnerabilities inVulnerability Management, Detection & Response (VMDR)
Rapid Response with TruRisk Eliminate
Qualys Monthly Webinar Series
Microsoft’s February 2026 Patch Tuesday focuses on closing security gaps that attackers could exploit, reinforcing the importance of timely patching in enterprise environments. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you need to know.
## Microsoft Patch Tuesday for February 2026
This month’s release addresses 61 vulnerabilities, i
Bleepingcomputer
Microsoft February 2026 Patch Tuesday fixes 6 zero-days, 58 flaws
blogs_bleepingcomputer·2026-02-10·CVSS 8.8
[HIGH] Microsoft February 2026 Patch Tuesday fixes 6 zero-days, 58 flaws
## Microsoft February 2026 Patch Tuesday fixes 6 zero-days, 58 flaws
## Lawrence Abrams
25 Elevation of Privilege vulnerabilities
5 Security Feature Bypass vulnerabilities
12 Remote Code Execution vulnerabilities
6 Information Disclosure vulnerabilities
3 Denial of Service vulnerabilities
7 Spoofing vulnerabilities
When BleepingComputer reports on Patch Tuesday security updates, we only count those released by Microsoft today. Therefore, the number of flaws does not include 3 Microsoft Edge flaws fixed earlier this month.
As part of these updates, Microsoft has also begun to roll out updated Secure Boot certificates to replace the original 2011 certificates that are expiring in late June 2026.
"With this update, Windows quality updates include a broad set of targeting data that i
Krebs
Patch Tuesday, February 2026 Edition
blogs_krebs·2026-02-10·CVSS 7.8
CVE-2026-21510 [HIGH] Patch Tuesday, February 2026 Edition
Microsoft today released updates to fix more than 50 security holes in its Windows operating systems and other software, including patches for a whopping six “zero-day” vulnerabilities that attackers are already exploiting in the wild.
Zero-day #1 this month is CVE-2026-21510, a security feature bypass vulnerability in Windows Shell wherein a single click on a malicious link can quietly bypass Windows protections and run attacker-controlled content without warning or consent dialogs. CVE-2026-21510 affects all currently supported versions of Windows.
The zero-day flaw CVE-2026-21513 is a security bypass bug targeting MSHTML, the proprietary engine of the default Web browser in Windows. CVE-2026-21514 is a related security feature bypass in Microsoft Word.
The zero-day CVE-2026-21533 all
Talos
Microsoft Patch Tuesday for February 2026 — Snort rules and prominent vulnerabilities
blogs_talos·2026-02-10·CVSS 8.8
CVE-2026-21522 [HIGH] Microsoft Patch Tuesday for February 2026 — Snort rules and prominent vulnerabilities
## Microsoft Patch Tuesday for February 2026 — Snort rules and prominent vulnerabilities
Microsoft has released its monthly security update for February 2026, which includes 59 vulnerabilities affecting a range of products, including two that Microsoft marked as “Critical”.
CVE-2026-21522 is a critical elevation of privilege vulnerability affecting Microsoft ACI Confidential Containers. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could enable an authorized attacker to escalate privileges on affected systems. This vulnerability is not listed as publicly disclosed and received a CVSS 3.1 score of 6.7.
CVE-2026-23655 is a critical information disclosure vulnerability affecting Microsoft ACI Confidential Containers. This vulnerability could enable an authorized attacker to disclose sensit
Qualys
Microsoft and Adobe Patch Tuesday, February 2026 Security Update Review | Qualys
blogs_qualys·2026-02-10
Microsoft and Adobe Patch Tuesday, February 2026 Security Update Review | Qualys
#### Table of Contents
- Microsoft Patch Tuesday forFebruary2026
- Adobe Patches for February 2026
- Zero-day Vulnerabilities Patched inFebruaryPatch Tuesday Edition
- Critical Severity Vulnerabilities Patched inFebruaryPatch Tuesday Edition
- Other Microsoft Vulnerability Highlights
- Microsoft Release Summary
- Discover and Prioritize Vulnerabilities inVulnerability Management, Detection & Response (VMDR)
- Rapid Response with TruRisk Eliminate
- Qualys Monthly Webinar Series
Microsoft’s February 2026 Patch Tuesday focuses on closing security gaps that attackers could exploit, reinforcing the importance of timely patching in enterprise environments. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you need to know.
## Microsoft Patch Tuesday for February 2026
This month’s release addresses 61 vulner
Krebs
Patch Tuesday, February 2026 Edition
blogs_krebs·2026-02-10·CVSS 7.8
CVE-2026-21510 [HIGH] Patch Tuesday, February 2026 Edition
Microsoft today released updates to fix more than 50 security holes in its Windows operating systems and other software, including patches for a whopping six “zero-day” vulnerabilities that attackers are already exploiting in the wild.
Zero-day #1 this month is CVE-2026-21510 , a security feature bypass vulnerability in Windows Shell wherein a single click on a malicious link can quietly bypass Windows protections and run attacker-controlled content without warning or consent dialogs. CVE-2026-21510 affects all currently supported versions of Windows.
The zero-day flaw CVE-2026-21513 is a security bypass bug targeting MSHTML , the proprietary engine of the default Web browser in Windows. CVE-2026-21514 is a related security feature bypass in Microsoft Word.
The zero-day CVE-2026-21533 a
Tenable
February 2026 Microsoft Patch Tuesday | Tenable®
blogs_tenable·2026-02-10
February 2026 Microsoft Patch Tuesday | Tenable®
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Tenable Security Center Request a demo
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Talos
Microsoft Patch Tuesday for February 2026 — Snort rules and prominent vulnerabilities
blogs_talos·2026-02-10·CVSS 8.8
CVE-2026-21522 [HIGH] Microsoft Patch Tuesday for February 2026 — Snort rules and prominent vulnerabilities
Microsoft has released its monthly security update for February 2026, which includes 59 vulnerabilities affecting a range of products, including two that Microsoft marked as “Critical”.
CVE-2026-21522 is a critical elevation of privilege vulnerability affecting Microsoft ACI Confidential Containers. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could enable an authorized attacker to escalate privileges on affected systems. This vulnerability is not listed as publicly disclosed and received a CVSS 3.1 score of 6.7.
CVE-2026-23655 is a critical information disclosure vulnerability affecting Microsoft ACI Confidential Containers. This vulnerability could enable an authorized attacker to disclose sensitive information including secret tokens and keys if successfully exploited. This vulnerabi
Zscaler
Zscaler protects against 9 new vulnerabilities | 02-10-2026
blogs_zscaler·CVSS 7.8
[HIGH] Zscaler protects against 9 new vulnerabilities | 02-10-2026
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Wiz
CVE-2026-21510 Impact, Exploitability, and Mitigation Steps | Wiz
blogs_wiz·CVSS 8.8
CVE-2026-21510 [HIGH] CVE-2026-21510 Impact, Exploitability, and Mitigation Steps | Wiz
## CVE-2026-21510 :
vulnerability analysis and mitigation
Protection mechanism failure in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.
Source : NVD
## 8.8
Score
Published February 10, 2026
Severity HIGH
CNA Score 8.8
Has Public Exploit Yes
Has CISA KEV Exploit Yes
CISA KEV Release Date N/A
CISA KEV Due Date N/A
Exploitation Probability Percentile (EPSS) 87.6
Exploitation Probability (EPSS) 3.5
Sources
NVD
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Recorded Future
February 2026 CVE Landscape: 13 Critical Vulnerabilities Mark 43% Drop from January
blogs_recorded_future·CVSS 7.7
[HIGH] February 2026 CVE Landscape: 13 Critical Vulnerabilities Mark 43% Drop from January
# February 2026 CVE Landscape:13 Critical Vulnerabilities Mark 43% Drop from January
February 2026 saw a 43% decrease in high-impact vulnerabilities, with Recorded Future's Insikt Group® identifying 13 vulnerabilities requiring immediate remediation, down from 23 in January 2026. All 13 carried a ‘Very Critical’ Recorded Future Risk Score.
What security teams need to know:
- Microsoft dominates: Six of 13 vulnerabilities affected Microsoft products, accounting for 46% of February's findings; all were added to CISA's KEV catalog on the same day
- Supply-chain attack on Notepad++: Lotus Blossom, a suspected China state-sponsored threat actor, exploited CVE-2025-15556 to hijack Notepad++'s update channel and deliver a Cobalt Strike Beacon and the Chrysalis backdoor
- APT28 exploits MSHTML
Sophos
February’s Patch Tuesday assumes battle stations
blogs_sophos
February’s Patch Tuesday assumes battle stations
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Microsoft on Tuesday released 58 patches affecting 15 product families. Five of the addressed issues, all involving Azure, are considered by Microsoft to be of Critical severity, though only two require urgent attention (more on that below). Fifteen have a CVSS base score of 8.0 or higher, including two with a 9.8 base score. Six are known to be under active exploit in the wild, and three are publicly disclosed (including one not yet known to be under exploit).
At patch time, five CVEs are judged more likely to be exploited in the next 30 days by the company’s estimation, in addition to the six already detected to be so. Various of this month’s issues are amenable to direct detection by Sophos protections, and we include information on those in a table below. The release also
2026-02-10
Published
2026-02-10
Added to CISA KEV
Exploited in the wild