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Lazarus Exploits Windows Vulnerability to Deploy Rootkit

Guavy AI Editorial Team Published August 12, 2026

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MSFT

A recent security vulnerability in Microsoft Windows has been exploited by attackers using malware associated with the North Korean hacking group Lazarus. The vulnerability, known as CVE-2026-68820, was disclosed by Check Point Software researchers after observing it being used to deploy a new version of FudModule, Lazarus' kernel-mode rootkit.

The high-rated vulnerability allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally and gain system privileges. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), CVE-2026-68820 has been added to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities database on August 11, indicating that exploits are already being tracked.

Microsoft released a patch for this vulnerability as part of their August 2026 Patch Tuesday update, which addressed no less than 421 vulnerabilities in total. The company warned users to prioritize patching this issue, despite the vulnerability being rated important rather than critical.

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