CVE-2026-56197 — Windows Admin Center
HIGHCVE-2026-56197 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) CWE-77 vulnerability in microsoft windows admin center. A fix is available — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Improper neutralization of special elements used in a command ('command injection') in Windows Admin Center allows an authorized attacker to execute code over a network.
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2026-56197.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2026-56197 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,987 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Description
Improper neutralization of special elements used in a command ('command injection') in Windows Admin Center allows an authorized attacker to execute code over a network.
Affected Products
windows admin centermicrosoftDetection & mitigation playbook
Vendor / applianceDetect
Inventory every microsoft windows admin center deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above.
Fix
Apply the microsoft windows admin center security patch or hotfix for CVE-2026-56197 on the affected version, following the vendor advisory for your exact build.
Workarounds
Stop passing untrusted input into the interpreter or shell: call the affected binary with an argument array rather than a composed command string, reject anything outside a strict allowlist of expected values, and run the component under an account that cannot reach beyond the work it legitimately does. Alongside that, restrict the management interface to trusted networks and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-56197 being exploited in your environment?
Detect and block the exploit chain at execution, on systems you cannot patch yet.