CVE-2022-44698: in the CISA KEV catalogue
Microsoft Defender SmartScreen Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability. CISA added CVE-2022-44698 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2022-12-13 with a default due date of 2023-01-03. Known ransomware campaign use: Known. Forensic triage flag: No.
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 description)
- Vendor / product
- Microsoft Defender
- CWE
- CWE-755
- CISA required action
- Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- EPSS
- 75%, percentile 99 (scored 2026-11-03)
EPSS puts about 75 in 100 odds (75%) on exploitation activity being observed in the next 30 days. Its score is higher than or equal to that of 99% of scored CVEs. This is a model estimate about exploitation anywhere, not about your environment.
Vendor and reference links (from CISA)
Your own deadline under CISA BOD 26-04 depends on exposure, automatability and technical impact: work it out with the BOD 26-04 calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2022-44698 in the CISA KEV catalogue?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2022-44698 (Microsoft Defender SmartScreen Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability) to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2022-12-13. CISA's default due date for it is 2023-01-03.
Is CVE-2022-44698 used in ransomware attacks?
CISA marks known ransomware campaign use as Known for CVE-2022-44698.
What should I do about CVE-2022-44698?
CISA's required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Sources
- CISA, Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (accessed 2026-11-03)
- FIRST, Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) (EPSS by FIRST; scores generated by Empirical Security)
- NVD record for CVE-2022-44698