Windows 11’s strongest security defenses can be bypassed without a screwdriver
Researchers found a script-only attack, 'Download More RAM', that rewrites DIMM configuration chips to bypass Windows 11 VBS and HVCI security boundaries.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham and Durham University showed that overwriting configuration data on unprotected DDR4/DDR5 module chips creates memory aliases that let attackers with existing privileged access defeat Virtualisation-based Security and HVCI, re-enable blocklisted drivers, kill EDR, and bypass group policy. Microsoft assigned CVE-2026-23670 and shipped mitigations in its April 2026 updates; systems with Secure Boot enabled are protected. Affected unprotected product lines are estimated at more than half of the high-performance consumer memory market and over 70% of the gaming segment.