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Windows BITS EUVDEUVD-2026-100094

| CVE-2026-88118 HIGH
Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122)
2026-10-13 secure@microsoft.com GHSA-mwmm-3797-249h
7.8
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 foothold
  2. Delivery
    Invoke BITS with crafted input
  3. Exploit
    Trigger integer overflow / heap corruption
  4. Execution
    Execute code as SYSTEM
  5. Impact
    Full host compromise

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the attacker to already have authenticated local access with at least low-level privileges on the target (CVSS PR:L, AV:L) - there is no remote or network vector and no user interaction is needed (UI:N). The flaw resides in the Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), a default-enabled component present on all supported Windows client and server editions, so no non-default configuration is required to reach the vulnerable service. The primary limiting factor is the need for a pre-existing local foothold; this is a privilege-escalation primitive used after initial access, not an initial-access vulnerability. Servers and workstations where untrusted users can run code (multi-user, RDP, or kiosk hosts) face the highest realistic exposure.

Impact

This is a credible but not emergency-level priority. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N) confirms a local privilege-escalation flaw requiring the attacker to already hold valid low-level credentials on the host - it is not remotely exploitable, which caps its urgency relative to network-facing CVEs. CISA's SSVC framework aligns with this: Exploitation=none (no observed or public exploitation), Automatable=no (cannot be reliably mass-scripted across targets), but Technical Impact=total, consistent with the C:H/I:H/A:H impact and the fact that successful exploitation typically yields SYSTEM-level control. There is no CISA KEV listing and no POC in the provided data, so exploitation status is 'no public exploit identified at time of analysis.' No EPSS score was supplied, so probabilistic exploitation likelihood cannot be quantified from this input. The signals are internally consistent (local EoP, no known exploitation, high impact) with no contradictions to flag. Bottom line: a real priority for privileged endpoints and multi-user servers because it completes a local-attacker-to-SYSTEM chain, but it is a second-stage vulnerability - an attacker needs an initial foothold first - so it should be patched on the normal-to-expedited Patch Tuesday cycle rather than treated as a drop-everything remote threat.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has already gained low-privileged code execution on a Windows host (e.g., via phishing or a compromised standard user account) invokes the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and supplies crafted input that triggers an integer overflow leading to a heap buffer overflow. The corrupted heap allocation is leveraged to execute attacker-controlled code in the context of the privileged BITS service, elevating from standard user to SYSTEM. No public exploit code is identified in the available data, so this scenario is inferred from the CWE-122 heap-overflow mechanism and the AV:L/PR:L vector.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.4% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026

Local privilege escalation in Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) allows an authenticated local attacker with low-level privileges to exploit a memory corruption flaw and gain higher privileges on affected Windows client and server systems. The vulnerable BITS component is default-enabled and reachable without non-default configuration, but exploitation requires a pre-existing local foothold and no user interaction, with no remote or network vector. Vendor patch is available; no public exploit identified at time of analysis, and the independent assessment rates this as a credible but not emergency-level priority.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: apply Microsoft's security update for CVE-2026-88118, which raises affected builds to the fixed versions: Windows 10 21H2 and 22H2 10.0.19044.7807, Windows 10 1809 10.0.17763.9376, Windows 10 1607 10.0.14393.9612, Windows 11 23H2 10.0.22631.7652, Windows 11 24H2 10.0.26100.9711, Windows 11 25H2 10.0.26200.9711, Windows 11 26H1 10.0.28000.3231, Windows 11 26H2 10.0.26300.9711, Windows Server 2012 6.2.9200.26434, Windows Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.23470, Windows Server 2016 10.0.14393.9612, Windows Server 2019 10.0.17763.9376, Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.5761, and Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.33650, with details at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-88118. If patching cannot be performed immediately, reduce exposure by restricting interactive logon and RDP access on multi-user, kiosk, and server systems to trusted administrators, enforcing least privilege and application control so untrusted users cannot run local code, and monitoring for unexpected BITS or service behavior; these compensating controls lower risk but do not fully remove the local privilege-escalation primitive. Disabling BITS globally is not recommended as a broad workaround because it can disrupt Windows Update, configuration management, and application background transfers; if attempted in a constrained environment, test operational side effects first.

Affected VersionsENISA

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

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 flaw is in Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), a default-installed component that performs asynchronous background file transfers for Windows Update, configuration management, and applications. Available intelligence classifies the issue as CWE-122 heap-based buffer overflow with Buffer Overflow and Heap Overflow tags, while the description identifies an integer overflow or wraparound as the trigger; the practical chain is likely an integer size or length calculation wrapping and leading to an undersized heap allocation followed by out-of-bounds memory write. The CVSS vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H and the independent assessment confirm that the attacker must already have authenticated local access with low privileges and that no user interaction is required; because BITS is present by default, this is a local privilege-escalation primitive rather than an initial-access or remote vulnerability. Successful exploitation can give the attacker high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on the affected Windows host.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.8 HIGH

Local-only privilege escalation needing an authenticated low-priv user (AV:L, PR:L), reliably triggerable (AC:L), yielding SYSTEM-level total impact (C/I/A:H), with no scope change.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/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
Low
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 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

Integer overflow or wraparound in Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A high-severity privilege-escalation flaw in the default-enabled Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) component could allow an attacker who already holds a low-privilege foothold on a host to elevate to administrative or SYSTEM-level rights. Because BITS ships enabled by default across Windows client and server estates, the exposure footprint spans essentially the entire managed endpoint and server population, though each individual compromise requires a pre-existing local beachhead rather than remote access. Leadership should care because successful exploitation turns a contained single-host intrusion into a domain-relevant administrative compromise, and a vendor fix is already available at no licensing cost.

Business Impact: Medium
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.4%
Top 71% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
BITS is a core component of every supported Windows client and server
Vendor Status
Publicly Disclosed:No
Exploited:No
Latest Software Release:Exploitation More 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 0.4%
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
Medium
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

A heap overflow occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a buffer allocated in the heap memory region.

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