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CVE-2022-44689: Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2) Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

• Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.1)
• Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
• EPSS: 0.5% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
• Public exploit or detection template: none known
• Published: 2022-12-13 · updated 2026-06-17
• Weakness: CWE-269

Description

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2) Kernel Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Affected products

• Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607: 20h2, 21h1, 21h2, 22h2, 1809
• Microsoft Windows 11 version 21H2: 22h2
• Microsoft Windows Server 2019: all versions
• Microsoft Windows Server 2022: all versions
• Microsoft Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2): all versions
• Microsoft Windows 10: from 10.0.17763.0 before 10.0.17763.3770 — fixed in 10.0.17763.3770
• Microsoft Windows 10 20H2: from 10.0.0 before 10.0.19042.2364 — fixed in 10.0.19042.2364
• Microsoft Windows 10 21H1: from 10.0.0 before 10.0.19043.2364 — fixed in 10.0.19043.2364
• Microsoft Windows 10: from 10.0.19044.0 before 10.0.19044.2364 — fixed in 10.0.19044.2364
• Microsoft Windows 10: from 10.0.19045.0 before 10.0.19045.2364 — fixed in 10.0.19045.2364
• Microsoft Windows 11 21H2: from 10.0.22000.0 before 10.0.22000.1335 — fixed in 10.0.22000.1335
• Microsoft Windows 11: from 10.0.22621.0 before 10.0.22621.993 — fixed in 10.0.22621.993
• Microsoft Windows Server 2019: from 10.0.17763.0 before 10.0.17763.3770 — fixed in 10.0.17763.3770
• Microsoft Windows Server 2022: from 10.0.20348.0 before 10.0.20348.1366 — fixed in 10.0.20348.1366
• Microsoft Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2): from 5.0.0.0 before 1.0.3 — fixed in 1.0.3

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Microsoft Windows 10 10.0.17763.3770; Microsoft Windows 10 20H2 10.0.19042.2364; Microsoft Windows 10 21H1 10.0.19043.2364; Microsoft Windows 10 10.0.19044.2364; Microsoft Windows 10 10.0.19045.2364; Microsoft Windows 11 21H2 10.0.22000.1335; Microsoft Windows 11 10.0.22621.993; Microsoft Windows Server 2019 10.0.17763.3770; Microsoft Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.1366; Microsoft Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL2) 1.0.3. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

• https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2022-44689
• https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2022-44689

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