EUVD-2026-43905
GHSA-6765-2pwx-hv54
Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local vector and low-privileged account required (AV:L, PR:L); no user interaction; a use-after-free to SYSTEM yields total confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorNVD
Lifecycle Timeline
5DescriptionNVD
Use after free in Windows Media allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
AnalysisAI
Local privilege escalation in the Windows Media component across Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server (2016 through 2025) allows an authenticated low-privileged attacker to elevate to SYSTEM by exploiting a use-after-free memory corruption flaw. Microsoft has released patches and reports no public exploit identified at time of analysis; EPSS is low at 0.25% and CISA SSVC records exploitation status as 'none', though technical impact is rated total. Given the ubiquity of the Windows Media stack, this is a routine but broadly applicable Patch-Tuesday-class local EoP.
Technical ContextAI
The flaw is a CWE-416 use-after-free in the Windows Media subsystem - the set of libraries and kernel/user-mode components that handle media parsing, decoding, and playback within Windows. A use-after-free occurs when code continues to reference a heap object after it has been freed; an attacker who can control heap allocation timing can reclaim the freed memory with attacker-controlled data and force the dangling pointer to operate on that data, yielding memory corruption that can be steered into arbitrary code execution in the security context of the affected component. The CPE data confirms the affected surface is the Microsoft Windows platform itself (windows_10_version_1607 through windows_11_version_26h1, plus Windows Server 2016/2019/2022/2025 including Server Core installations), meaning this is an OS-level component present in virtually every Windows install rather than a standalone application.
RemediationAI
Apply the Microsoft cumulative security update that raises each affected build to at least the fixed version for its release train - Vendor-released patch: Windows 10 1607/Server 2016 build 10.0.14393.9339, Windows 10 1809/Server 2019 build 10.0.17763.9020, Windows 10 21H2 build 10.0.19044.7548, Windows 10 22H2 build 10.0.19045.7548, Windows Server 2022 build 10.0.20348.5386, Windows 11 24H2 build 10.0.26100.8875, Windows 11 25H2 build 10.0.26200.8875, Windows 11 26H1 build 10.0.28000.2269, and Windows Server 2025 build 10.0.26100.33158; consult the MSRC guidance at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-50358 to map your OS to the exact KB. Because exploitation requires an existing authenticated local foothold, interim compensating controls center on limiting who can run code on the host: enforce least privilege and restrict interactive/local logon rights so untrusted users cannot execute code, apply application control (WDAC/AppLocker) to block untrusted binaries, and monitor for anomalous media-handling process behavior; these reduce opportunity but do not remove the flaw, and application-control policies can break legitimate media workflows if scoped too broadly, so patching remains the only complete fix.
More in Windows 10 Version 1607
View allRemote code execution in Windows IKE Extension (Internet Key Exchange) via double free memory corruption allows unauthen
Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) lets an already-authenticated low-p
Windows Shell protection mechanism failure (CVE-2026-32202) allows remote attackers to perform spoofing attacks over a n
Local privilege escalation in the Microsoft Windows Kernel allows an unauthorized attacker to gain elevated (SYSTEM-leve
Local code execution in the Windows DHCP Client service stems from a use-after-free (CWE-416) memory-corruption flaw aff
Remote code execution in the Microsoft Windows DHCP Server role allows an unauthenticated network attacker to run arbitr
Local code execution in the Windows Media component of supported Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server (2016 throug
Local privilege escalation via heap-based buffer overflow in the Windows Message Queuing (MSMQ) Queue Manager component
Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows Win32K lets an authenticated low-privileged user corrupt kernel heap mem
Local privilege escalation in the Windows NTFS file system driver lets an authenticated low-privileged user win a race c
Elevation of privilege in the Windows Hyper-V virtual network switch (VMSwitch) lets an authenticated attacker operating
Remote code execution in Microsoft Windows Remote Desktop (RDP) allows an unauthorized network attacker to run arbitrary
Same weakness CWE-416 – Use After Free
View allSame technique Use After Free
View allShare
External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today