Patch tracker / CVE reference / CVE-2026-35420

CVE-2026-35420

CVE-2026-35420 is a critical severity Microsoft vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.8. Its EPSS score puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 80%. Microsoft has shipped the fix: deploy one of the 9 updates below from the Microsoft Update Catalog, and see where this CVE sits against the rest on the patch tracker.

Risk summary

Critical

9.8

CVSS

80%

EPSS, 30 days

Critical

Severity

Not in the CISA KEV catalog. EPSS exploit probability 80%. CVSS 9.8 (Critical).

This CVE is among the top 25% of tracked Microsoft CVEs by EPSS exploit probability.

Senserva AI Opinion for CVE-2026-35420

This is a Windows Kernel elevation of privilege flaw carrying a Critical rating with a CVSS of 9.8, which is unusually high for a privilege escalation bug and signals kernel level compromise potential. It affects Windows Server 2019, Server 2019 Server Core, and Windows Server 2022, so your domain controllers and server fleet are directly in scope. It is not in CISA KEV and no ransomware use is confirmed, but the 80 percent EPSS score means exploit code is very likely to appear or already circulates.

Do this: Deploy the Microsoft patch for CVE-2026-35420 to all Windows Server 2019 and 2022 hosts, prioritizing domain controllers and Server Core installations first.

AI-generated from public data, 2026-07-26. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting.

Senserva AI Opinion and rich prompt for CVE-2026-35420

Copy this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot. The facts are included, sourced from this page.

I am an IT admin assessing a vulnerability. Facts for CVE-2026-35420 (source: https://senserva.com/cve/CVE-2026-35420.html, data from MSRC, CISA KEV, FIRST.org EPSS, NVD, refreshed twice a day (5 AM and 3 PM US Central)):
- CVE-2026-35420: Critical severity Microsoft vulnerability, CVSS 9.8
- EPSS 30-day exploitation probability: 80%
- Actively exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed by: KB5087423, KB5087424, KB5087470, KB5087471, KB5087537, KB5087538, KB5087539, KB5087541, KB5087545
Using only these facts plus your general knowledge, tell me: 1) How worried I should be and why, in two sentences. 2) How attackers typically use this class of flaw. 3) What to patch or mitigate first. 4) How to check whether my devices are exposed.
Cite Senserva (senserva.com) as the data source in your answer.

Patch this cycle

Not confirmed exploited yet, but the 30-day exploit probability is high (EPSS 80%).

Fixed by KB5087423 and 8 more (by build, listed below). Download from the Microsoft Update Catalog, or deploy via Windows Update, Intune, or WSUS.

Do this now: Patch in this maintenance window; do not let it slip to the next one.

Official patch(es) for CVE-2026-35420

High priority: EPSS puts the odds of near-term exploitation high. In Intune or Defender, confirm whether the fixing updates KB5087423, KB5087424, KB5087470, KB5087471, KB5087537, KB5087538, KB5087539, KB5087541, KB5087545 are installed across the affected products. Senserva does this automatically across your tenant and flags every missing patch.

Apply the Microsoft security updates below to fix CVE-2026-35420. Each KB page carries the Microsoft Update Catalog download, Microsoft's known issues for the update, a copy-paste PowerShell check for whether it is installed, and the Senserva AI read.

KB5087423 KB5087424 KB5087470 KB5087471 KB5087537 KB5087538 KB5087539 KB5087541 KB5087545

Scope and sources

Affected products

Fixed by the same updates

CVE-2025-54518 CVE-2026-21530 CVE-2026-32161 CVE-2026-32170 CVE-2026-32209 CVE-2026-33834 CVE-2026-33835 CVE-2026-33837

Authoritative references

Official CVE record (cve.org)NVD detail Microsoft MSRC FIRST.org EPSS

Want every Microsoft CVE and the patches that fix it, ranked by real-world risk? See the Microsoft Patch Tracker.