Windows 10 1809
CVE-2026-20865
HIGH
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain local user access
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ExploitTrigger use-after-free in Windows Management Services
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ExecutionCorrupt memory state
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ImpactExecute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2021 - Vulnerable and Outdated Components
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Memory lifecycle management
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, 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 user account required on target system. Windows Management Services must be running. Attacker must manipulate specific sequence of service operations to trigger memory corruption window—not exploitable remotely or without valid credentials. |
| Impact | CVSS 7.8 (HIGH). Attack vector: Local. Complexity: High. Privileges required: Low. User interaction: None. Exploitable via local access. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to compromise the affected system. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026
Privilege escalation in Windows Management Services affects Windows 11 24H2, Windows Server 2022, and 2025 through a use-after-free memory vulnerability that allows authenticated local attackers to gain elevated system privileges. The vulnerability requires local access and manual user interaction is not required, making it exploitable by any authorized account on the system. Currently no patch is available to remediate this issue.
Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
Use after free in Windows Management Services allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally. [CVSS 7.8 HIGH]
RemediationAI
Monitor vendor advisories for a patch.
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 10 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-416 (Use After Free). Affects the Windows Management component of Windows 10 1809. Use after free in Windows Management Services allows an authorized 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:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Windows Management Services allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
Organizations using Use after free in Windows Management Services face notable risk from CVE-2026-20865, a use-after-free vulnerability rated CVSS 7.8. 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) Enable ASLR and DEP where available; (2) Implement network segmentation; (3) Monitor for exploitation indicators.
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
Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.
Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.
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