Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain low-privileged local access
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DeliveryInvoke vulnerable Win32 kernel path
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ExploitTrigger use-after-free in kernel subsystem
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ExecutionCorrupt kernel object/pointer
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ImpactExecute 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 the attacker to already possess local, authenticated low-privileged access to the Windows host (CVSS PR:L, AV:L) - there is no remote or network vector. No user interaction is needed (UI:N). The attacker must be able to invoke the affected Win32 kernel subsystem code path and win the use-after-free timing to corrupt kernel memory; the input provides no evidence of a non-default configuration requirement, so default installations of the listed builds are in scope. Limiting factors: the need for prior local access, the per-attempt reliability inherent to UAF exploitation (SSVC Automatable: no), and the requirement that the host run an unpatched affected build (Windows 11 24H2/25H2/26H1/26H2 or Windows Server 2025 below the fixed revisions). |
| Impact | This is a credible but not emergency-level priority. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, base 7.8 HIGH) describes a local privilege-escalation flaw requiring the attacker to already have low-privileged authenticated access to the host - it is not remotely exploitable. The signals are consistent and point AWAY from imminent mass exploitation: CISA's SSVC decision framework lists Exploitation as 'none' (no observed or public exploitation), Automatable as 'no' (expected, since local EoP cannot be sprayed across the internet), while Technical Impact is 'total' (matching the C:H/I:H/A:H full-system compromise once triggered). No EPSS score was provided in the input, and there is no CISA KEV listing and no public exploit. The chief risk is as a post-compromise building block: a UAF in the Win32 kernel subsystem (CWE-416) is a classic target for chaining after initial access to reach SYSTEM. Given Windows' ubiquity and Microsoft's own reporting of the flaw, patching should be prioritized on multi-user and internet-facing hosts, but the absence of exploitation signals means this is a 'patch in normal cadence' item rather than a drop-everything KEV-style threat. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who has already gained low-privileged code execution on a Windows host - for example via phishing, a malicious document, or a compromised standard user account - triggers the use-after-free in the Win32 kernel subsystem to corrupt kernel memory and elevate to SYSTEM. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and the SSVC framework reports no known exploitation, so this would currently require custom exploit development against the specific UAF condition. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026
Local privilege escalation in the Microsoft Windows Win32 kernel subsystem lets an authenticated attacker holding low-privileged access on an affected host corrupt kernel memory via a use-after-free race and escalate to full system privileges. Microsoft rates it CVSS 7.8 (AV:L/PR:L/UI:N, with high confidentiality, integrity and availability impact) and has shipped fixed builds for Windows 11 24H2, 25H2, 26H1 and 26H2 as well as Windows Server 2025; no public exploit identified at time of analysis, and CISA's SSVC assessment records no known exploitation and marks the flaw as not automatable, since winning the UAF timing is attacker-dependent rather than reliably scriptable. Because the vector is entirely local and requires prior code execution in a low-privilege context, this is a credible but not emergency-level priority - it matters most as a post-compromise elevation step on unpatched builds.
RemediationAI
Primary fix: install the Microsoft security update that brings each branch to or above its fixed build - Windows 11 24H2 to 10.0.26100.9711, Windows 11 25H2 to 10.0.26200.9711, Windows 11 26H1 to 10.0.28000.3231, Windows 11 26H2 to 10.0.26300.9711, and Windows Server 2025 (including Server Core) to 10.0.26100.33650; patch availability is confirmed by the vendor and detailed in the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96249. Because the attack is local and requires an already-authenticated low-privilege foothold, there is no meaningful network-edge workaround; the practical compensating controls are to prioritize patching on multi-user, RDP-accessible, and jump-host systems where untrusted users or compromised service accounts can execute code, to enforce least privilege and remove unnecessary local interactive logon rights (accepting that this reduces but does not eliminate exposure, since any local code execution still reaches the vulnerable path), and to monitor for unexpected bugchecks or kernel memory-corruption crash signatures as an unreliable detection backstop. Note that neither enabling mitigations such as Exploit Protection/ACG nor restricting the Win32 subsystem is a viable substitute for the update, as the affected code path is core to normal Windows operation and cannot be disabled without breaking the platform; the patch does not require a reboot-avoidance trade-off, so it can be deployed in standard monthly maintenance windows with the usual restart implications.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 6 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 Win32 kernel subsystem. Kernel objects allocated from pool memory are torn down and freed while a stale pointer to them remains reachable through the Win32 subsystem's handling path; a local caller who can repeatedly invoke that path can race the free against a subsequent dereference, reallocate the freed chunk with attacker-influenced contents, and redirect kernel control flow. Because the corruption happens in kernel mode, success converts a low-privilege token into full administrative/SYSTEM control of the host. The associated tags - memory corruption and denial of service - reflect the two common outcomes of the same primitive: an exploitable write/UAF or a bugcheck that crashes the machine. The CVSS vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U is consistent with a local, unprivileged-to-privileged escalation and gives no indication of a remote or network attack surface; the scope is unchanged, so the impact is contained to the single compromised host rather than other security authorities.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local-only kernel EoP requiring an existing low-privileged account gives AV:L/PR:L with no user interaction; successful kernel UAF yields full C/I/A impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Windows Win32 Kernel Subsystem allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
CVE-2026-96249 is a high-severity local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Windows that affects organizations running unpatched Windows 11 builds (24H2, 25H2, 26H1, 26H2) and Windows Server 2025. If exploited, an authenticated attacker with low-level access could gain full system privileges, turning a minor compromise into a complete host takeover with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and exploitation requires local access and precise timing, so the immediate risk is moderate-but leadership should ensure timely patching to prevent escalation in already-compromised environments.
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Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
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NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
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