CVE-2026-96951: Microsoft Windows Command Injection Vulnerability

Is it exploited?

Yes. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 13 Oct 2026, the same day the CVE record was published.

How likely is exploitation in the next 30 days?

9.8%

EPSS score, percentile 95.5 of all scored records

How severe?

8.8 High

CVSS v3.1 base score, given by the CNA

What should I do?

CISA deadline 16 Oct 2026. Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions … Full text

Advisories and patches (1)

Which versions are affected?

Affected

• from 1.0.0 to before 20260925.100
• from 10.0.14393.0 to before 10.0.14393.9612
• from 10.0.17763.0 to before 10.0.17763.9376
• from 10.0.19044.0 to before 10.0.19044.7807
• from 10.0.19045.0 to before 10.0.19045.7807
• from 10.0.22631.0 to before 10.0.22631.7652

and 14 more in the table below

Versions by product

Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of 28 Oct 2026; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of 28 Oct 2026; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.

What to do

CISA due date for this action: 16 October 2026.

Advisories and patches

• Windows Shell Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (Vendor advisory, Patch)

Linked from CISA's catalog entry

• https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96951
• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-96951

Affected products and versions

As listed in the CVE record.

Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.

About this vulnerability

Microsoft Windows Shell contains a command injection vulnerability that allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.

Summary: CISA's KEV catalog, as of 28 Oct 2026.

• CISA added CVE-2026-96951 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 13 Oct 2026.
• CISA's ransomware flag for this entry is "Unknown": no evidence of ransomware use in the catalog, which is not proof of none.
• The due date CISA sets for the required action is 16 Oct 2026.
• The CVE record was published on 13 Oct 2026, the same day it was added to KEV.
• The CVE record carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (High), given by its CNA.
• FIRST's EPSS model puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 9.8% (percentile 95.5), as of 28 Oct 2026.
• CISA's SSVC assessment in the CVE record: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact total.

Source: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, 2026.10.28, as of 28 Oct 2026; CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026; FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), v2026.06.15, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.

Description

Windows Shell Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability

Improper neutralization of special elements used in a command ('command injection') in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature over a network.

Source: CVE List V5 (CVE Program), cve_2026-10-28_0000Z, as of 28 Oct 2026. About the data.

Weakness

• CWE-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')

CWE and CAPEC are maintained by MITRE; the entries are those named in the CVE record and the KEV entry.

Timeline

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