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A critical Windows 11 and Windows 10 flaw turns Microsoft Defender into a hacker's best friend
Winsage
June 30, 2026

A critical Windows 11 and Windows 10 flaw turns Microsoft Defender into a hacker’s best friend

Chaotic Eclipse, also known as Nightmare-Eclipse, bypassed Windows 11's BitLocker security using a USB stick and claimed Microsoft left a backdoor in the system. Following this, Microsoft patched three zero-day exploits named YellowKey, GreenPlasma, and MiniPlasma. Nightmare-Eclipse then revealed another zero-day vulnerability called RoguePlanet, which affects Microsoft Defender on Windows 10 and 11, potentially allowing attackers full control over compromised systems. Microsoft is tracking this vulnerability as CVE-2026-50656 and is working on a security update. Nightmare-Eclipse provided a proof-of-concept exploit and described it as a race condition with variable success rates. Microsoft has promoted Windows Defender as adequate for most users but acknowledged that third-party tools can offer additional protection. The company initially threatened legal action against Nightmare-Eclipse but later decided not to pursue lawsuits against researchers sharing their findings.
New GreatXML Exploit Bypasses Windows BitLocker via Recovery Partition XML Files
Winsage
June 11, 2026

New GreatXML Exploit Bypasses Windows BitLocker via Recovery Partition XML Files

Security researcher Chaotic Eclipse has released a Windows BitLocker bypass tool named GreatXML, following a previously disclosed exploit targeting Microsoft Defender. The discovery was made accidentally and took four hours. A critical vulnerability exists for users who have used the Windows Defender Offline Scan feature, making them susceptible to the BitLocker bypass. The exploit involves copying an XML file and a recovery folder to the recovery partition and rebooting into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). If the Defender offline scan was not initiated, users must log in to start it or find a way to boot into WinRE in offline scan state. GreatXML is the second BitLocker bypass tool released by Chaotic Eclipse, following the earlier exploit known as YellowKey (CVE-2026-45585), which has been patched by Microsoft.
Microsoft patches a record 206 flaws—and one is already being exploited
Winsage
June 11, 2026

Microsoft patches a record 206 flaws—and one is already being exploited

Microsoft patched 206 vulnerabilities during June's Patch Tuesday, surpassing the previous record of 175 vulnerabilities patched in October 2025. Among the patched vulnerabilities, 118 are related to different versions of Windows, including Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server. One critical vulnerability, CVE-2026-41091, in Microsoft Defender is actively being exploited, prompting an update to the Malware Protection Engine. Microsoft also addressed ten vulnerabilities in the Security Feature Bypass category due to the expiration of old Secure Boot certificates. Of the 118 Windows vulnerabilities, 19 are classified as critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerabilities, including CVE-2026-47288 and CVE-2026-47291. In Microsoft Office, 54 vulnerabilities were patched, including 25 RCE vulnerabilities, with nine classified as critical. Microsoft patched eight vulnerabilities in Exchange Server, including CVE-2026-45583, which can be exploited in a man-in-the-middle scenario. Additionally, the update for Edge addressed 74 Chromium vulnerabilities, including a zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2026-11645).
Critical Windows Netlogon RCE flaw now exploited in attacks
Winsage
June 1, 2026

Critical Windows Netlogon RCE flaw now exploited in attacks

The Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) has warned about the exploitation of a critical vulnerability in Windows Netlogon, identified as CVE-2026-41089, which allows remote code execution on domain controllers without prior access or authentication. This vulnerability, characterized as a stack-based buffer overflow, was patched by Microsoft during the May 2026 Patch Tuesday. The CCB emphasized the urgency of patching vulnerable servers, noting that the vulnerability is actively being exploited. The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 9.8. Further details on the ongoing attacks have not been disclosed, and Microsoft has not updated its advisory on the vulnerability.
CVE-2026-45585: YellowKey BitLocker Bypass
Winsage
May 23, 2026

CVE-2026-45585: YellowKey BitLocker Bypass

BitLocker, a security feature for data protection, has a vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-45585, also known as YellowKey, which allows unauthorized access to encrypted data on Windows 11 versions 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, and Windows Server 2025. This flaw does not compromise BitLocker’s encryption but affects the recovery environment supporting it. The vulnerability can be exploited locally through the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) by an attacker with physical access, who can trigger an unrestricted shell and access the BitLocker-protected volume. Microsoft has provided two mitigation strategies: modifying the WinRE image to remove the autofstx.exe entry and transitioning from TPM-only protection to a TPM+PIN requirement at startup. The exploit poses challenges for detection, as it occurs pre-boot and currently lacks vendor-published indicators of compromise. Organizations using BitLocker for unattended devices are particularly at risk, as the vulnerability can lead to loss of confidentiality if an attacker gains access before the legitimate user.
How To Mitigate The Microsoft Windows BitLocker ‘Angry Hacker’ 0-Day
Winsage
May 20, 2026

How To Mitigate The Microsoft Windows BitLocker ‘Angry Hacker’ 0-Day

Microsoft is addressing a zero-day exploit known as YellowKey, identified as CVE-2026-45585, which allows attackers to bypass BitLocker security using a specially crafted USB device. Following the release of exploit code by a hacker named Chaotic Eclipse, Microsoft has issued urgent mitigation advice. Cybersecurity expert Neena Sharma recommends treating this as an active threat and suggests implementing compensating controls, such as restricting USB boot access, until a patch is available. Microsoft has provided guidance for users to protect their systems, including the recommendation to add a PIN to BitLocker protection to reduce the risk of exploitation. Detailed instructions for adding a PIN are included in the advisory. YellowKey has not yet been exploited in the wild but requires physical access to the device.
MiniPlasma Windows 0-Day Enables SYSTEM Privilege Escalation on Fully Patched Systems
Winsage
May 18, 2026

MiniPlasma Windows 0-Day Enables SYSTEM Privilege Escalation on Fully Patched Systems

Chaotic Eclipse has unveiled a proof-of-concept (PoC) for a Windows privilege escalation zero-day vulnerability, codenamed MiniPlasma, which targets the "cldflt.sys" component and could grant SYSTEM privileges on fully patched Windows systems. This vulnerability was initially reported to Microsoft by James Forshaw from Google Project Zero in September 2020. Although Microsoft was believed to have resolved it in December 2020 as part of CVE-2020-17103, further analysis indicates that the flaw remains unaddressed. Chaotic Eclipse demonstrated that the original PoC could still spawn a SYSTEM shell reliably on his machines. The vulnerability is believed to affect all versions of Windows, with confirmation that MiniPlasma opens a "cmd.exe" prompt with SYSTEM privileges on Windows 11 systems with the latest May 2026 updates, though it does not function on the latest Insider Preview Canary version. In December 2025, Microsoft addressed a separate privilege escalation flaw in the same component, identified as CVE-2025-62221, which had a CVSS score of 7.8 and was reportedly being exploited by threat actors.
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