What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-45637?

CVE-2026-45637 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (High). CVSS vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. EPSS exploitation probability: 0.1%.

Which versions of Windows DWM Core Library are affected by CVE-2026-45637?

A local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Desktop Window Manager (DWM, CVE-2026-45637, CVSS 7.8) enables attackers with user-level code execution to gain system-level control,…. A patch is available.

How to fix or mitigate CVE-2026-45637?

Within 24 hours: Inventory all Windows systems and document baseline user privilege configurations and access patterns. Within 7 days: Deploy application whitelisting controls, restrict local interactive logon to administrative accounts only, and enable detailed Windows Event Log monitoring (Event ID 4688 for process creation and privilege escalation events). Within 30 days: Verify complete deployment of all mitigations across Windows infrastructure and establish continuous monitoring for suspicious process execution and system-level access attempts.

Windows DWM Core Library CVE-2026-45637

EUVD-2026-35566 HIGH

Use After Free (CWE-416)

2026-06-09 secure@microsoft.com

GHSA-g34g-39q4-7286

Microsoft Use After Free Memory Corruption Denial Of Service

7.8

CVSS 3.1 · NVD

Temporal: 6.8

Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY

7.8 HIGH

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

CIRCL (temporal)

6.8 MEDIUM

cvss

Primary rating from NVD.

CVSS VectorNVD

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Lifecycle Timeline

Patch available

Jun 09, 2026 - 19:03 EUVD

Analysis Generated

Jun 09, 2026 - 18:06 vuln.today

CVE Published

Jun 09, 2026 - 17:17 nvd

HIGH 7.8

DescriptionNVD

Use after free in Windows DWM Core Library allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

AnalysisAI

Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows Desktop Window Manager (DWM) Core Library enables an authorized low-privileged user to gain elevated privileges through a use-after-free memory corruption flaw. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and no public exploit identified at time of analysis. Exploitation requires the attacker to already have local code execution as a standard user, making it a strong candidate for post-compromise chaining toward SYSTEM-level access.

Technical ContextAI

The Desktop Window Manager (DWM) is the compositing window manager in modern Windows operating systems that handles rendering and visual effects, running with elevated privileges to manage GUI composition for all sessions. The DWM Core Library is a core component implicated here, and the underlying flaw is classified as CWE-416 (Use After Free), in which memory is referenced after it has been released back to the allocator. In such conditions, an attacker who can influence the contents of the freed memory region (for example by spraying controlled objects in its place) can hijack object pointers, virtual function tables, or other control structures, ultimately redirecting execution flow inside a process running at higher privilege than the attacker.

RemediationAI

Apply the security update referenced in the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-45637 (Patch available per vendor advisory; exact KB and fixed build numbers are listed there per affected Windows SKU). Until patches are deployed, reduce exposure by restricting interactive and remote-desktop logon rights to trusted users, applying the principle of least privilege so that fewer accounts can reach the local prerequisite for exploitation, and ensuring EDR is tuned to detect anomalous child processes or token manipulation originating from dwm.exe; note that disabling DWM is not a viable workaround on supported Windows versions because the modern desktop composition pipeline depends on it and turning it off will break the user-facing GUI.