EUVD-2026-44055
GHSA-rpr2-8rvv-249v
Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local EoP needing only an unprivileged foothold gives AV:L/PR:L/AC:L/UI:N; kernel compromise yields full C:H/I:H/A:H with no scope change.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
External control of file name or path in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
AnalysisAI
Local privilege escalation in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (AFD.sys) allows an already-authenticated local attacker to gain elevated (SYSTEM-level) privileges across a broad range of Windows client and server releases from Windows 10 1607 and Server 2012 through Windows 11 26H1 and Server 2025. Reported internally by Microsoft with a patch available, the flaw carries CVSS 7.8 with full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact but no confirmed active exploitation; no public exploit identified at time of analysis.
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Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata
Vulnerability AssessmentAI
| Exploitation | Exploitation requires the attacker to already have authenticated, low-privileged local code execution on the target Windows system (CVSS PR:L, AV:L) - this is a local privilege-escalation primitive, not a remote entry point, so it must be chained with a separate initial-access or RCE vulnerability to be useful. … Additional conditions and limiting factors are described in the full assessment. |
| Risk Assessment | The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H = 7.8 High) describes a low-complexity local attack requiring only low existing privileges and no user interaction, yielding full CIA impact - a classic and reliable EoP profile once an attacker already has a foothold. … Full risk analysis with EPSS, KEV, and SSVC signal comparison available after sign-in. |
| Exploit Scenario | An attacker who has already obtained low-privileged code execution on a Windows host - for example via phishing, a compromised service account, or a chained remote exploit - invokes crafted socket/IOCTL operations against AFD.sys that abuse its externally-controllable path/reference handling to run code in kernel context and escalate to SYSTEM. The low attack complexity and lack of required user interaction make this a dependable second stage, though it requires pre-existing local access and no public exploit is currently identified. |
| Remediation | Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2026-50462 via the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-50462; a patch is available from the vendor, so patching to the corresponding cumulative update for your specific Windows build is the primary and only complete fix (exact KB/version is not enumerated in the input - retrieve it from the MSRC update guide for your OS build). … Detailed patch versions, workarounds, and compensating controls in full report. |
Recommended ActionAI
Within 24 hours: Identify all Windows systems (Windows 10 build 1607 and later, all Windows 11 versions, Windows Server 2012 through 2025) and assess local user access exposure on critical systems and servers. …
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External POC / Exploit Code
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