Microsoft Defender SmartScreen Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2022-44698)
Severity: medium · Patch status: patched · Since 2022-12-13 · CVE-2022-44698
Microsoft Defender SmartScreen contains a security feature bypass vulnerability that could allow an attacker to evade Mark of the Web (MOTW) defenses via a specially crafted malicious file. CISA added CVE-2022-44698 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Dec 13, 2022, which means attackers are exploiting it in the wild. CISA reports known use in ransomware campaigns.
What to do
- Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- US federal agencies must remediate by Jan 3, 2023 (BOD 22-01); treat that as the outer limit.
Sources
All live incidents on Threat Watch
