Windows 10 1607
CVE-2026-20844
HIGH
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessTrigger race condition in Windows Clipboard Server
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ExploitCause use-after-free vulnerability
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ExecutionOverwrite freed memory with malicious payload
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ImpactExecute code with elevated privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Concurrency control, locking
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Local system access required. Race condition exploitation requires precise timing during clipboard operations. Attacker must interact with Clipboard Server process memory while it processes clipboard data between free and reuse operations. |
| Impact | CVSS 7.4 (HIGH). Attack vector: Local. Complexity: High. Privileges required: None. User interaction: None. Exploitation no authentication required. Exploitable via local access. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker without authentication could exploit this vulnerability to compromise the affected system. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026
Windows Clipboard Server contains a use-after-free vulnerability affecting Windows 10 (versions 21H2 and 1809) and Windows Server 2022 (23H2) that enables local privilege escalation without requiring user interaction. An attacker with local access can exploit this memory safety flaw to gain elevated system privileges. No patch is currently available for this vulnerability.
Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
Use after free in Windows Clipboard Server allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges locally. [CVSS 7.4 HIGH]
RemediationAI
Monitor vendor advisories for a patch.
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 12 packages in microsoft
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
Classified as CWE-362 (Race Condition). Affects Windows 10 1607. Use after free in Windows Clipboard Server allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
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- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft) · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Windows Clipboard Server allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
Organizations using Use after free in Windows Clipboard Server face moderate risk from CVE-2026-20844, a race condition vulnerability rated CVSS 7.4. Exploitation could compromise the security of affected deployments. Organizations should apply vendor updates when available and consider compensating controls in the interim.
Apply vendor patch. If immediate patching is not feasible: (1) Implement network-level access controls to limit exposure; (2) Enable enhanced monitoring and alerting; (3) Apply principle of least privilege.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Race conditions occur when multiple concurrent requests exploit the brief time gap between checking a condition and acting upon it (TOCTOU - Time of Check, Time of Use).
Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.
Affected Products (CPE)CVE.org
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NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
VulDB
GitHub PoC
Exploit-DB