Bypassing Windows Administrator Protection

Microsoft has introduced Administrator Protection in Windows 11 to replace UAC and enhance security by requiring a prompt for administrator privileges. However, research by Google Project Zero revealed nine separate vulnerabilities that allow bypassing this protection and silently gaining administrator access. These vulnerabilities range from long-standing UAC issues to implementation flaws within the new feature itself. A key vulnerability involves exploiting a loophole related to logon sessions and DOS drive letters, allowing attackers to hijack the C: drive of a process running with administrator privileges. While Microsoft has addressed some of these issues, a significant number of bypasses remain, highlighting the ongoing challenge of securing UAC and administrator elevation.