Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain local low-privileged execution
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ExploitInvoke crafted NTFS operation
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ExecutionAbuse improper access control in NTFS
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ImpactElevate to SYSTEM privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Authorization logic validation
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires the attacker to already have local, authenticated low-privileged code execution on an affected Windows host (PR:L, AV:L) - this is a post-foothold elevation-of-privilege flaw in the NTFS filesystem driver, not a remotely reachable or unauthenticated bug. No user interaction is needed (UI:N) and attack complexity is low (AC:L), so once a standard-user foothold exists, escalation to SYSTEM is reliable. Limiting factors: the attacker must first gain local execution (e.g., via phishing, an existing account, or a chained remote bug), and the target must be an unpatched build below the fixed versions listed in EUVD-2026-100247 (e.g., Windows 11 24H2 below 10.0.26100.9711, Server 2022 below 10.0.20348.5761, Server 2016 below 10.0.14393.9612). No non-default configuration is called out in the description; NTFS is the default Windows filesystem so all listed editions are affected out of the box. |
| Impact | This is a genuine but second-tier 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, low-complexity privilege escalation requiring an authenticated low-privileged foothold (PR:L) and no user interaction, yielding full confidentiality/integrity/availability impact within an unchanged scope. The real-world exploitation signals are consistently LOW: SSVC reports Exploitation=none, Automatable=no, and Technical Impact=partial, and the CVE is NOT in CISA KEV with no public POC identified. No EPSS score was provided in the input, so probabilistic exploitation likelihood cannot be quantified. The signals are therefore aligned rather than conflicting - a high-impact local EoP that is not yet exploited and not automatable. One tension to flag: SSVC Technical Impact is rated 'partial' whereas the CVSS impacts are all High (C:H/I:H/A:H); these two frameworks score impact differently, so the 'partial' SSVC rating should not be read as contradicting the CVSS severity. Because exploitation requires existing local authenticated access, this is typically chained as a post-compromise step rather than an initial-access vulnerability; prioritize patching on multi-user and shared Windows hosts but it is not an emergency drop-everything issue absent active exploitation. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A low-privileged authenticated user (or malware running in a standard user context after initial access) runs a crafted program that abuses an improper access-control/authorization flaw in the Windows NTFS driver to elevate to SYSTEM. No user interaction is required and attack complexity is low, but the attacker must already be able to execute code locally on the host. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026
Privilege escalation in the Windows NTFS filesystem driver allows an authenticated local attacker holding only standard-user rights to reliably obtain SYSTEM-level access on unpatched builds. The weakness is an improper access control condition (CWE-863) that requires low attack complexity and no user interaction, making it a dependable post-foothold escalation step once an attacker already has local code execution - for example via phishing, an existing low-privileged account, or a chained remote bug - rather than a remotely reachable or unauthenticated issue. No public exploit code has been identified and CISA's SSVC assessment records no observed exploitation, so this is a genuine but second-tier patching priority; Microsoft has shipped fixes for all listed client and server editions, so exposure is limited to hosts still below the fixed build numbers.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor-released Microsoft update for CVE-2026-96918 via Windows Update, WSUS, or the Microsoft Update Catalog; refer to the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96918 and confirm each host has reached the corresponding fixed build from EUVD-2026-100247 (Windows 10 1607 to 10.0.14393.9612, Windows 10 1809/Server 2019 to 10.0.17763.9376, Windows 10 21H2/22H2 to 10.0.19044.7807, Windows 11 23H2 to 10.0.22631.7652, Windows 11 24H2 and Server 2025 to 10.0.26100.9711 or 10.0.26100.33650 respectively for Server 2025, Windows 11 25H2 and 26H2 to 10.0.26200.9711 / 10.0.26300.9711, Windows 11 26H1 to 10.0.28000.3231, and Server 2022 to 10.0.20348.5761). Because NTFS is the mandatory system filesystem, disabling it is not a viable workaround, so if immediate patching is not possible the practical compensations are to deny attackers the local foothold this bug depends on: enforce least privilege and remove unnecessary local admin or interactive logon rights, harden against initial local code execution with attack surface reduction rules, WDAC/AppLocker, SmartScreen and macro/script blocking, and close remote avenues that could drop a low-privileged payload (RDP restrictions, phishing-resistant MFA). The trade-off is real-world friction: application allowlisting and reduced local rights can break legacy line-of-business software and remote administration workflows, and these controls only mitigate the prerequisite foothold rather than the NTFS authorization flaw itself. Prioritize internet-facing and multi-user systems such as RDP hosts and Terminal Servers, where a low-privileged local account is easiest to obtain; note that CISA SSVC scoring (Exploitation: none, Automatable: no, Technical Impact: partial) supports treating this as a scheduled, high-severity patch rather than an emergency response.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 16 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 affected component is NTFS, the default and mandatory filesystem for Windows system volumes, which means every impacted client and server edition is exposed in a default installation rather than only under a non-standard configuration. The root cause class is CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization / improper access control): the filesystem fails to correctly enforce an access check, so a caller who legitimately holds only low privileges can reach a protected object or operation that should require higher integrity. Because this is a kernel-mode filesystem component, successful abuse of the faulty check allows the local attacker to operate with elevated rights and yields high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact (C:H/I:H/A:H) with scope unchanged (S:U). The published vector - AV:L, AC:L, PR:L, UI:N - confirms this is a local, low-complexity, authenticated escalation requiring no user interaction, and the available intelligence does not disclose the specific NTFS structure, ACL, or code path involved. EUVD-2026-100247 enumerates fixed build boundaries for Windows 10 (1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2), Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, 26H2), and Windows Server 2016/2019/2022/2025 including Server Core installations.
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- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local EoP needing an authenticated standard-user foothold so AV:L/PR:L, low complexity and no interaction, granting full SYSTEM control hence C:H/I:H/A:H with unchanged scope.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Improper access control in Windows NTFS allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
A privilege-escalation flaw in the Windows NTFS filesystem driver lets an attacker who already holds a standard-user account on a Windows host elevate to SYSTEM-level control of that machine. Because it requires an existing local foothold rather than remote or unauthenticated access, it is best understood as a force multiplier for attackers who have already landed on a host - turning a single phished user or low-privilege service account into full administrative control. Microsoft has released fixes, so the organizational risk is concentrated entirely in Windows client and server estates that remain on unpatched build levels.
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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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EUVD-2026-100247
GHSA-vwfm-q7x6-vvc7
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB