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Windows Installer EUVDEUVD-2026-100077

| CVE-2026-87704 HIGH
Use After Free (CWE-416)
2026-10-13 secure@microsoft.com GHSA-w878-vwmq-c6mp
7.0
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: microsoft
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privileged local access
  2. Exploit
    Trigger use-after-free in Windows Installer
  3. Execution
    Win memory-reuse race to control freed object
  4. Impact
    Execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
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.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires pre-existing LOCAL access with at least low-privilege credentials (CVSS AV:L, PR:L) - this is not remotely reachable and cannot be triggered by an unauthenticated network attacker. No user interaction is needed (UI:N). The key LIMITING factor is the high attack complexity (AC:H): as a use-after-free (CWE-416) in Windows Installer, the attacker must win a race or achieve a specific heap/memory-reuse state to reliably control the freed object, making exploitation timing-dependent rather than deterministic. Exploitation targets the Windows Installer (msiexec) service present by default on all supported Windows versions, so no non-default configuration is required, but the attacker must already be able to execute code locally on the host.

Impact

This is a locally-exploitable use-after-free elevation-of-privilege flaw in Windows Installer. The provided CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, base 7.0 / High) signals meaningful real-world constraints that temper the full C/I/A impact: the attacker must already have local access and valid low-level credentials (PR:L), and exploitation is rated high-complexity (AC:H), which for a use-after-free typically reflects a memory-reuse race or heap-grooming requirement that is not deterministic. No EPSS score, KEV listing, or POC reference was supplied in the input, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation. This is therefore a credible but not emergency-tier issue: it is a post-compromise privilege-escalation primitive (attacker needs a foothold first) rather than a remotely-wormable bug, and the AC:H rating argues against reliable mass exploitation. The one signal that raises its practical priority is prevalence - it affects the entire supported Windows ecosystem - so despite the moderate score it warrants timely patching as part of standard Patch Tuesday remediation. Note the 'Denial Of Service' tag sits oddly against a description that specifies privilege elevation; the A:H metric plausibly covers a DoS side effect, but the primary impact per the description and CWE-416 is EoP - treat the DoS framing with caution.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who already has a low-privileged foothold on a Windows host (e.g., a standard user account or a compromised service) invokes or races a Windows Installer operation to trigger the use-after-free, reusing freed memory to corrupt an object and redirect execution into attacker-controlled data. Successful exploitation elevates them from a limited account to SYSTEM. No public exploit code was identified in the provided data, and the CVSS AC:H rating indicates the required timing/heap conditions make reliable exploitation non-trivial.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026

Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows Installer (msiexec) allows an attacker who already possesses low-privilege code execution on a Windows host to corrupt memory via a use-after-free and elevate to SYSTEM-level privileges. Affected builds span Windows 10 (1607 through 22H2), Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, 26H2) and Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025, including Server Core installations. The assessed vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H confirms this is not remotely reachable and needs pre-existing local access; the high attack complexity reflects a race/heap-reuse condition that makes exploitation timing-dependent, and no public exploit identified at time of analysis. Microsoft has released a vendor patch.

RemediationAI

The primary fix is to apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2026-87704 as published in the Microsoft Security Update Guide (https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-87704) - patch status is 'available from vendor', and the fixed builds per the affected-version data are 10.0.22631.7652 (Windows 11 23H2), 10.0.26100.9711 (Windows 11 24H2), 10.0.26200.9711 (Windows 11 25H2), 10.0.28000.3231 (Windows 11 26H1), 10.0.26300.9711 (Windows 11 26H2), 10.0.19044.7807 (Windows 10 21H2/22H2), 10.0.14393.9612 (Windows 10 1607 / Server 2016), 10.0.17763.9376 (Windows 10 1809 / Server 2019), 10.0.20348.5761 (Server 2022), 10.0.26100.33650 (Server 2025), 6.2.9200.26434 (Server 2012) and 6.3.9600.23470 (Server 2012 R2); deploy the corresponding monthly cumulative update to every branch in scope, including Server Core images and golden/template VMs. Because msiexec is a core OS component that cannot be meaningfully disabled without breaking application installation and servicing, there is no clean product-level workaround, so compensating controls should focus on the prerequisites the attacker needs. Tighten who can obtain a local foothold: remove unnecessary local administrative rights, restrict interactive/RDP logon and batch/ service logon rights to the minimum set of accounts, and block execution of untrusted binaries with WDAC or AppLocker - the trade-off is operational overhead and the risk of breaking legitimate line-of-business software. Enforce least privilege so that a compromised low-privileged process cannot easily deliver the second-stage payload required to win the race; this reduces, but does not eliminate, exposure since PR:L is only one step below the privileged level being targeted. Enable Windows Installer verbose logging and monitor for anomalous msiexec child-process behavior or unexpected MSI execution from user-writable paths - the trade-off is increased log volume and disk consumption, and this is detection rather than prevention. Patching remains the only complete fix; treat other measures as interim risk reduction until every affected build reaches the version listed above.

Affected VersionsENISA

Windows 11 Version 23H2 10.0.22631.0 <10.0.22631.7652
Windows 11 Version 24H2 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.9711
Windows 10 Version 21H2 10.0.19044.0 <10.0.19044.7807
Windows Server 2012 6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.26434
Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) 6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.26434
Windows 10 Version 1607 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9612
Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 <10.0.28000.3231
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376
Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows 10 Version 22H2 10.0.19045.0 <10.0.19044.7807
Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23470
Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation) 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9612
Windows 11 Version 26H2 10.0.26300.0 <10.0.26300.9711
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows 11 Version 25H2 10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.9711
Windows Server 2019 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376
Windows Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23470
Windows Server 2016 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9612
Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.0 <10.0.20348.5761
Windows 10 Version 1809 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376

Affected Packages

euvd windows_10_version_1607 fix: 10.0.14393.9612
euvd windows_10_version_1809 fix: 10.0.17763.9376
euvd windows_10_version_21h2 fix: 10.0.19044.7807
euvd windows_10_version_22h2 fix: 10.0.19044.7807
euvd windows_11_version_23h2 fix: 10.0.22631.7652
euvd windows_11_version_24h2 fix: 10.0.26100.9711
euvd windows_11_version_25h2 fix: 10.0.26200.9711
euvd windows_11_version_26h1 fix: 10.0.28000.3231
euvd windows_11_version_26h2 fix: 10.0.26300.9711
euvd windows_server_2012 fix: 6.2.9200.26434
euvd windows_server_2012_r2 fix: 6.3.9600.23470
euvd windows_server_2012_r2_server_core_installation fix: 6.3.9600.23470
euvd windows_server_2012_server_core_installation fix: 6.2.9200.26434
euvd windows_server_2016 fix: 10.0.14393.9612
euvd windows_server_2016_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.14393.9612
euvd windows_server_2019 fix: 10.0.17763.9376
euvd windows_server_2019_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.17763.9376
euvd windows_server_2022 fix: 10.0.20348.5761
euvd windows_server_2025 fix: 10.0.26100.33650
euvd windows_server_2025_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.26100.33650

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 20 packages in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The root cause is CWE-416, Use After Free, in the Windows Installer service. Windows Installer is the component that processes MSI packages and patch files, and its engine routinely executes in a privileged context (the msiexec service runs at SYSTEM level), which is why a memory-safety defect there becomes an elevation-of-privilege primitive rather than a simple crash. In a use-after-free, the vulnerable code frees a heap object and later dereferences the dangling pointer; an attacker who can influence the allocation pattern must arrange for the freed memory to be reclaimed with attacker-controlled content before the stale reference is used. This is exactly why the assessed vector carries AC:H - the attacker must win a race or reliably land a heap-spray/reuse state, so exploitation is not deterministic. The accompanying intelligence tags (Denial Of Service, Memory Corruption, Use After Free, Microsoft) are consistent with that class of bug: the same dangling pointer can produce a crash/DoS if the reuse is not controlled, and controlled reuse yields code execution in the privileged process. Scope is Unchanged (S:U), so impact is confined to the local host, but Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability are all High once SYSTEM is obtained. The affected CPE/version data shows the flaw is present in every supported Windows servicing branch, meaning the vulnerable binary ships by default and no non-default configuration is required to expose the attack surface - only the ability to run code locally as a low-privileged user.

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 7.0 HIGH
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.0 HIGH

Local-only use-after-free EoP requiring an existing low-priv account (PR:L, AV:L) and a non-deterministic memory-reuse race (AC:H); successful SYSTEM compromise yields full C/I/A.

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).

CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Oct 13, 2026 - 20:20 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 13, 2026 - 19:21 cve.org
HIGH 7.0

DescriptionCVE.org

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

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A privilege-escalation flaw in Microsoft Windows Installer (msiexec) affects essentially the entire supported Windows estate - Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2012 through 2025, including Server Core - meaning any host running an unpatched build is exposed. An attacker who already has a low-privilege foothold on a machine can leverage this defect to obtain SYSTEM-level control, turning a minor compromise into full control of that host and its credentials. Because exploitation requires existing local access and a timing-dependent race condition, this is primarily a post-compromise escalation and lateral-movement risk rather than a mass remote attack vector; leadership should care because it removes the containment barrier that limits the blast radius of phishing, malware, or insider activity. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and a vendor patch is available.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 90% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Core Windows OS component across all supported client and server editions
Vendor Status
Publicly Disclosed:No
Exploited:No
Latest Software Release:Exploitation Less Likely
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

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 0.2%
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
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

35
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 vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.

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

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