CVE-2026-80097: Privilege Escalation in Authenticator

CVE-2026-80097 concerns an improper authentication flaw in Microsoft Authenticator that allows an unauthorized attacker to escalate privileges in a local context. The vulnerability affects the authentication app used by millions of enterprise users to access Microsoft systems. The flaw resides in the app's identity verification mechanism, enabling privilege escalation that compromises the authentication trust chain.

The assigned CVSS score is 8.6, in the high range. The vulnerability was published in the NVD database on 2026-09-08. In recent days, signals on social networks have confirmed security community interest in this flaw, particularly regarding behavior on Android. Researchers at Enclave have reported that a malicious application running locally on the device could exploit this vulnerability without requiring explicit permissions to obtain access tokens. This represents a concrete risk for enterprise environments where Authenticator is critical.

IT teams must verify the version of Microsoft Authenticator deployed on their enterprise devices and ensure that patch updates are applied promptly. It is recommended to monitor authentication logs to detect anomalous behavior or unauthorized access. In high-risk configurations, consider implementing additional conditional access controls and supplementary multi-factor verification. Communicate to enterprise users the importance of keeping the app updated.