What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-24285?

CVE-2026-24285 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.0 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.1%.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2026-24285?

Within 24 hours: Inventory all systems running affected Windows versions and restrict local administrator access to essential personnel only. Within 7 days: Implement application whitelisting and disable unnecessary Win32K features where operationally feasible; deploy enhanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) monitoring for suspicious privilege escalation attempts. Within 30 days: Develop a detailed patching plan for deployment immediately upon vendor release; consider evaluating Windows hardening controls such as Attack Surface Reduction (ASR) rules and Code Integrity enforcement.

Microsoft CVE-2026-24285

HIGH

Use After Free (CWE-416)

2026-03-10 secure@microsoft.com

Denial Of Service Use After Free Memory Corruption Microsoft

7.0

CVSS 3.1 · NVD

View

Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

Access

Authenticate as low-privileged user
Delivery

Trigger use-after-free in Win32K
Exploit

Corrupt kernel memory
Execution

Execute arbitrary code in kernel context
Impact

Achieve SYSTEM privileges

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness	CWE CWE-416 OWASP Top 10:2025 A06:2021 - Vulnerable and Outdated Components ASVS 5.0 V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Memory lifecycle management MITRE ATT&CK 2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege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. Sign in to read
Exploitation Conditions	Win32K graphics subsystem must be accessible to authenticated local user. Requires specific race condition timing in kernel object cleanup—exploitation success depends on precise memory access patterns. Default Windows configuration vulnerable.
Impact	CVSS 7.0 (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.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).

Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Mar 12, 2026

Use after free in Windows Win32K allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally. [CVSS 7.0 HIGH]

RemediationAI

Monitor vendor advisories for a patch.

Affected Packages

microsoft office_for_android_16_0_19822_20000 fix: Microsoft Office for Android 16.0.19822.20000

microsoft windows_10_version_1607_10_0_14393_8957 fix: Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems 10.0.14393.8957, Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems 10.0.14393.8957

microsoft windows_10_version_1809_10_0_17763_8511 fix: Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems 10.0.17763.8511, Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems 10.0.17763.8511

microsoft windows_10_version_21h2_10_0_19044_7058 fix: Windows 10 Version 21H2 for 32-bit Systems 10.0.19044.7058, Windows 10 Version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems 10.0.19044.7058, Windows 10 Version 21H2 for x64-based Systems 10.0.19044.7058

microsoft windows_10_version_22h2_10_0_19045_7058 fix: Windows 10 Version 22H2 for 32-bit Systems 10.0.19045.7058, Windows 10 Version 22H2 for ARM64-based Systems 10.0.19045.7058, Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems 10.0.19045.7058

microsoft windows_11_version_23h2_10_0_22631_6783 fix: Windows 11 Version 23H2 for ARM64-based Systems 10.0.22631.6783, Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64-based Systems 10.0.22631.6783

microsoft windows_11_version_24h2_10_0_26100_8037 fix: Windows 11 Version 24H2 for ARM64-based Systems 10.0.26100.8037, Windows 11 Version 24H2 for x64-based Systems 10.0.26100.8037

microsoft windows_11_version_25h2_10_0_26200_8037 fix: Windows 11 Version 25H2 for ARM64-based Systems 10.0.26200.8037, Windows 11 Version 25H2 for x64-based Systems 10.0.26200.8037

microsoft windows_server_2012_6_2_9200_25973 fix: Windows Server 2012 6.2.9200.25973, Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) 6.2.9200.25973

microsoft windows_server_2012_r2_6_3_9600_23074 fix: Windows Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.23074, Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) 6.3.9600.23074

microsoft windows_server_2016_10_0_14393_8957 fix: Windows Server 2016 10.0.14393.8957, Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation) 10.0.14393.8957

microsoft windows_server_2019_10_0_17763_8511 fix: Windows Server 2019 10.0.17763.8511, Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) 10.0.17763.8511

microsoft windows_server_2022_10_0_20348_4893 fix: Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.4893, Windows Server 2022 (Server Core installation) 10.0.20348.4893

microsoft windows_server_2022_23h2_edition_10_0_25398_2207 fix: Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation) 10.0.25398.2207

microsoft windows_server_2025_10_0_26100_32522 fix: Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.32522, Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.32522

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 15 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). Use after free in Windows Win32K 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

NVD PRIMARY 7.0 HIGH

AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

High

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

DescriptionCVE.org

Use after free in Windows Win32K allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Zero Day Initiative Advisories

ZDI-26-183 Microsoft Windows win32full Improper Release Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability Mar 2026 ZDI-26-182 Microsoft Windows win32full Improper Release Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability Mar 2026 ZDI-26-181 Microsoft Windows win32full Improper Release Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability Mar 2026

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-24285 is a high-severity Windows privilege escalation vulnerability affecting authorized local users who could gain elevated system access. This poses a significant risk to organizations where insider threats or compromised user accounts could lead to lateral movement and data exfiltration. Immediate action is required to limit exposure since no patch is currently available.

Business Impact: High

Compensating Controls

Implement strict access controls limiting local administrator privileges; deploy EDR solutions with behavioral monitoring for privilege escalation patterns; enable Windows Defender Attack Surface Reduction rules; apply principle of least privilege across user accounts; monitor Win32K API calls for anomalous activity; consider disabling non-essential graphics and kernel features; maintain air-gapped or isolated testing environments for high-risk systems; conduct regular security awareness training to reduce insider threat vectors.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score

0.1%

Top 83% exploitable

Data Quality

4 sources

Confidence: Medium

NVD

CVE.org

EPSS

VulDB

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.

SignalValue

Severity HIGH

CISA KEV No

Public POC No

EPSS 0.1%

Patch available Yes

Active threat No

Deciding rule

HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)

What every action level means

Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.

Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived

Scheduled

Exploitation· derived

None

System Exposure· derived

Small

Automatable· derived

Human Impact

High

Priority Score

Low Medium High Critical

KEV: 0

EPSS: 0

CVSS: +35

PoC: 0

Weaponized: 0

Threat intel: 0

Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Use After Free HIGH

Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.

Memory Corruption HIGH

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 MEDIUM

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.