Used in attacks· fix by 2026-05-06Not scored yetUsed by ransomware gangs
Microsoft Defender
CVE-2026-33825
Microsoft Defender contains an insufficient granularity of access control vulnerability that could allow an authorized attacker to escalate privileges locally.
What this means for your business
- It affects Microsoft Defender. It matters if your company, or a supplier that handles your data, runs it.
- Attackers are already using it. CISA added it to its list of flaws used in real attacks on 22 April 2026.
- Ransomware gangs are known to have used it.
- FIRST's prediction model gives it a 7% chance of attack attempts being seen in the next 30 days, ranking above 93% of all known flaws.
What to do
- 1Check whether your company or your suppliers run Microsoft Defender.
- 2If you do, follow CISA's required action below. No patch reference has been published yet.
- 3Treat it as urgent. US federal agencies must fix it by 6 May 2026. That deadline does not apply to private companies, but it shows how seriously CISA takes it.
- 4Because attackers have used it, check the affected systems for signs of a break-in, not only for the update.
Not sure if your company is exposed?
Fastnexa’s certified penetration testers can check whether attackers could use this flaw, or others like it, against your websites, apps and network. The full test is free for our first 10 founding clients until 31 December 2026.
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.
CISA’s wording, unedited.
Scoring
- CVSS
- Not yet scored
Dates
- Published
- 2026-04-22
- Added to KEV
- 2026-04-22
- Remediation due
- 2026-05-06
- Sources
- CISA KEV