The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) has issued a warning for users of Windows 10 and Windows 11 users. The cybersecurity watchdog has reported a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Kernel that could be exploited by the attacker to gain elevated privileges on the targeted system.
Classifying it as ‘high’ on the severity scale, the vulnerability is spotted in both 32-bit and x64-based systems, CERT-in said.
The cybersecurity agency, which comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), said the vulnerability exists in Microsoft Windows Kernel due to a flaw in the Kernel component.
“To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system, then he could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted application, taking control of an affected system,” it said.
CERT-In highlighted that a successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow the attacker to gain system privileges on the targeted system.
What users can do
CERT-In has said that this vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and in order to safeguard themselves, users must apply patches urgently. Microsoft has already made the safety patch available to all users.
Bugs in Chrome and Microsoft Edge
Recently, CERT-in reported multiple security vulnerabilities in Google Chrome operating system and Microsoft Edge web browser. According to the note published, these vulnerabilities would have been exploited by a remote attacker to bypass security restrictions and gain unauthorised access to users data in Chrome OS and run malicious code on Microsoft Edge.
CERT-in rated the severity for vulnerabilities on both ChromeOS and Microsoft Edge browser as high, and advised users to install the latest patch as the risk is high for users who are using outdated versions.