CVE-2019-0986
Windows User Profile Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows User Profile Service (ProfSvc) improperly handles symlinks. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could delete files and folders in an elevated context. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and delete files or folders of their choosing. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows User Profile Service handles symlinks.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Windows User Profile Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows User Profile Service (ProfSvc) improperly handles symlinks. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could delete files and folders in an elevated context. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and delete files or folders of their choosing. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows User Profile Service handles symlinks.
- Record
CVE-2019-0986- CVSS 3.1
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2019-1717
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows User Profile Service (ProfSvc) improperly handles symlinks. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could delete files and folders in an elevated context. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and delete files or folders of their choosing. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows User Profile Service handles symlinks.
- Record
EUVD-2019-1717- CVSS 3.1
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-c792-8wx7-j3v9
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows User Profile Service (ProfSvc)...
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows User Profile Service (ProfSvc) improperly handles symlinks, aka 'Windows User Profile Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability'.
- Record
GHSA-c792-8wx7-j3v9- CVSS 3.0
- 7.1 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
An elevation of privilege vulnerability exists when the Windows User Profile Service (ProfSvc) improperly handles symlinks. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could delete files and folders in an elevated context. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would first have to log on to the system. An attacker could then run a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerability and delete files or folders of their choosing. The security update addresses the vulnerability by correcting how the Windows User Profile Service handles symlinks.
- Record
CVE-2019-0986- CVSS 3.1
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H - CVSS 3.0
- 7.1 High
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 3.6 Low
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
- microsoft windows 10 version 1507
- microsoft windows 10 version 1607
- microsoft windows 10 version 1703
- microsoft windows 10 version 1709
- microsoft windows 10 version 1709 for 32-bit systems
- microsoft windows 10 version 1803
- microsoft windows 10 version 1809
- microsoft windows 10 version 1903 for 32-bit systems
- microsoft windows 10 version 1903 for arm64-based systems
- microsoft windows 10 version 1903 for x64-based systems
- microsoft windows 7
- microsoft windows 7 service pack 1
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- microsoft windows 8.1
- microsoft windows server 2008 service pack 2
- microsoft windows server 2008 r2 service pack 1
- microsoft windows server 2008 r2 service pack 1 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2008 r2 systems service pack 1
- microsoft windows server 2008 service pack 2
- microsoft windows server 2008 service pack 2 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2012
- microsoft windows server 2012 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2012 r2
- microsoft windows server 2012 r2 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2016
- microsoft windows server 2016 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2019
- microsoft windows server 2019 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server, version 1803 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server, version 1903 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows 10
- microsoft windows rt 8.1
- microsoft windows server 2008
Public exploits
Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.
| Source | Link | Date |
|---|---|---|
| PoC in GitHub | padovah4ck/CVE-2019-0986 | 2019-03-21 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, PoC in GitHub |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2019-0986 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.3) in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1507, published June 12, 2019. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.07%, the 81st percentile. No source names a fixed version.