🔓 Data Breaches

Five Ways UI Access Cracked Windows' Admin Protection — Before It Even Launched

Nine zero-days in a single feature. Researcher James Forshaw exposed how UI Access, meant for screen readers, became a backdoor to admin privileges — until Microsoft patched them all pre-launch.

Threat Digest Apr 03, 2026 4 min read 11 views
Flowchart showing UI Access elevation bypassing UIPI in Windows UAC

⚡ Key Takeaways

  • Five of nine Administrator Protection bypasses exploited UI Access, a 15-year-old UAC accessibility feature. 𝕏
  • Bypasses relied on weak checks like file location and generic code signing — now hardened. 𝕏
  • Architecture lesson: Static file gates fail against evolving attacks; behavioral checks needed. 𝕏
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#Administrator Protection #Shatter Attack #UI Access bypass #UIPI #Windows UAC #privilege escalation

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Originally reported by Google Project Zero

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