EUVD-2026-44094
GHSA-rx95-fw56-wrq7
Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local privilege escalation requiring an existing low-priv account (AV:L, PR:L), reliable and interaction-free (AC:L, UI:N), yielding full SYSTEM compromise (C/I/A:H, scope unchanged).
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Windows Graphics Kernel allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
AnalysisAI
Local privilege escalation in the Windows Graphics Kernel component allows an authenticated attacker to elevate to SYSTEM by triggering a use-after-free (CWE-416) memory-corruption condition. All currently supported Windows client and server builds are affected - from Windows 10 1809 through Windows 11 26H1 and Windows Server 2019 through 2025. No public exploit identified at time of analysis; Microsoft has released a patch, and the CVSS 7.8 (Important) rating reflects high impact but a local-access, low-privilege prerequisite.
Technical ContextAI
The flaw lives in the Windows Graphics Kernel, the kernel-mode graphics subsystem (historically win32k/dxgkrnl-family code) that processes graphics objects and device contexts on behalf of user-mode callers. The root cause is CWE-416 Use After Free: kernel code continues to reference a graphics object after its backing memory has been freed, letting an attacker who controls reallocation of that freed slot corrupt kernel memory. Because this code runs in ring 0, a successful groom of the freed object yields arbitrary kernel read/write and ultimately SYSTEM-level control. The affected CPE set (microsoft:windows_10_version_1809 through windows_11_version_26h1 and windows_server_2019 through windows_server_2025) confirms the vulnerable component ships in the base OS across all supported SKUs, including Server Core installations.
RemediationAI
Patch available per vendor advisory - apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2026-50493 delivered through the standard monthly cumulative update for your specific Windows build, referencing the fixed build numbers listed at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-50493. Because the vulnerable code is in the base OS Graphics Kernel, there is no supported feature toggle or component that can be disabled as a clean workaround; the only reliable fix is the OS update. As a compensating control until patching completes, restrict interactive and remote (RDP/terminal-services) logon rights to trusted administrators to reduce the population of local users who could stage the exploit, and prioritize multi-user session hosts, jump boxes, and VDI images where untrusted principals run code - with the trade-off that tightening logon rights can disrupt legitimate shared-host workflows. Maintain EDR/kernel-integrity monitoring for anomalous SYSTEM token acquisition as detective backstop.
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Same weakness CWE-416 – Use After Free
View allSame technique Use After Free
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today