CVE-2022-44698

Microsoft Defender: SmartScreen Security Feature Bypass

As of , CVE-2022-44698 in Microsoft Defender is on CISA's list of exploited vulnerabilities: CISA listed it on . Our patch-first group: Patch this week.

Exploited
Yes: CISA listed it on 13 December 2022
US federal deadline
3 January 202321 days after CISA listed it. US federal civilian agencies must fix it by then.
Used in ransomware campaigns
Known
EPSS score
0.76Higher than 99% of the CVEs EPSS scores. EPSS estimates the chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days.
EPSS when listed
No score that dayThe EPSS file of the day CISA listed it has no score for it.
Public exploit
None foundNeither Metasploit nor Exploit-DB lists one.
Fix
Vendor advice: msrc.microsoft.comLinks below, from CISA's entry.

What CISA says to do

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

CISA's required action

What the flaw is

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's description

Windows SmartScreen Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability

The CVE record's description, from microsoft

CVE published
13 December 2022
Assigned by
microsoft
CVSS
5.4 Medium (CVSS 3.1, from the CNA)
CWE-755
Improper Handling of Exceptional Conditions
CISA SSVC, exploitation
active
CISA SSVC, automatable
no
CISA SSVC, technical impact
partial

Timeline

  1. The CVE record was published.
  2. CISA added it to its list of exploited vulnerabilities.
  3. The US federal deadline to fix it.

Defender: other exploited entries

VulnerabilityProductOur groupListedDeadlineEPSS
CVE-2026-33825Insufficient Granularity of Access ControlMicrosoft DefenderPatch nowRansomware use, listed within a year0.00
CVE-2021-1647Remote Code ExecutionMicrosoft DefenderPatch soon0.39
CVE-2026-45498Denial of ServiceMicrosoft DefenderPatch soon0.01
CVE-2026-41091Link FollowingMicrosoft DefenderPatch soon0.00

Read further