CVE-2026-54121: Active Directory Certificate Services Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Advisory generated from the CVE record, CISA, Exploit Observer and VEDAS: what it is, whether it is exploited, who is affected, and how to fix and detect it.
Generated by VEDAS. Scores as of 2026-11-11 15:49 UTC. Rebuilt every few hours from cve-scores, CISA KEV and vedas-signatures. How this works and its limits.
What it is
Improper authorization in Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.
Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by microsoft, published 2026-07-14).
Weakness: CWE-285: Improper Authorization
How it can be exploited
Exploitable over the network with low attack complexity needing low privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA has no evidence of exploitation. Automatable: no. Technical impact: total.
Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)
Exploit Observer found 19 code repositories naming this CVE.
Code repositories that name a CVE are often scanners, copies or fakes, and some are malware. Read the code before running anything.
See all 23 references on Exploit Observer
Live scores
- EPSS
- 0.018
some chance of attack soon - VEDAS
- 0.955
strong exploit evidence - On CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Detection rule
- No public rule yet
Who is affected
| Product | Affected | Not affected |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607 | from 10.0.14393.0 before 10.0.14393.9339 | Not stated |
| Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 | from 10.0.17763.0 before 10.0.17763.9020 | Not stated |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2012 | from 6.2.9200.0 before 6.2.9200.26226 | Not stated |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) | from 6.2.9200.0 before 6.2.9200.26226 | Not stated |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 | from 6.3.9600.0 before 6.3.9600.23291 | Not stated |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) | from 6.3.9600.0 before 6.3.9600.23291 | Not stated |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2016 | from 10.0.14393.0 before 10.0.14393.9339 | Not stated |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation) | from 10.0.14393.0 before 10.0.14393.9339 | Not stated |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2019 | from 10.0.17763.0 before 10.0.17763.9020 | Not stated |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) | from 10.0.17763.0 before 10.0.17763.9020 | Not stated |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2022 | from 10.0.20348.0 before 10.0.20348.5386 | Not stated |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2025 | from 10.0.26100.0 before 10.0.26100.33158 | Not stated |
| Microsoft Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) | from 10.0.26100.0 before 10.0.26100.33158 | Not stated |
Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.
How to fix it
Fixed versions stated in the CVE record: 10.0.14393.9339, 10.0.17763.9020, 6.2.9200.26226, 6.3.9600.23291, 10.0.20348.5386, 10.0.26100.33158.
Vendor guidance:
- Active Directory Certificate Services Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (vendor-advisory, patch)
How to detect it
There is no open VEDAS detection rule for this bug yet. It is listed on the detection gaps page if CISA has confirmed attacks.
Advisories on this CVE
References
Vendor advisories and patches
- Active Directory Certificate Services Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (vendor-advisory, patch)
Other databases
Where this comes from
This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.
Supporting partners
