Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privileged local access
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DeliveryInvoke Servicing Stack Update operation
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ExploitWin TOCTOU race window (CWE-367)
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ExecutionSubstitute attacker-controlled resource
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ImpactElevate to SYSTEM privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture TOCTOU prevention
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires the attacker to already hold local, authenticated access to an affected host (PR:L) and to interact with the Windows Servicing Stack Updates (SSU) component - the Windows subsystem that services and installs updates. The core limiting factor is the TOCTOU race window (CWE-367, reflected as AC:H): the attacker must reliably win the timing gap between a security validation and the subsequent resource use, which typically demands repeated attempts and precise timing and is not guaranteed on any single try. No user interaction is needed (UI:N) and the attack is not network-reachable (AV:L). Affected and unpatched builds include Windows 11 23H2 (<10.0.22631.7652), 24H2/25H2/26H2 (<...9711 / ...26300.9711), 26H1 (<10.0.28000.3231), and Windows Server 2025 including Server Core (<10.0.26100.33650); patched builds are not vulnerable. |
| Impact | This is a credible but not top-tier priority. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, base 7.0 HIGH) describes a local elevation-of-privilege flaw in the Windows Servicing Stack: the attacker must already have local, authenticated access (PR:L) and must win a race window (AC:H), but on success gains full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact - consistent with SYSTEM-level privilege escalation. No EPSS score, CISA KEV listing, POC, or SSVC decision data was provided, so there is no signal of active or probable exploitation: exploitation status is 'no public exploit identified at time of analysis.' The high attack complexity inherent to TOCTOU races (CWE-367) further lowers the likelihood of reliable, widespread exploitation. The signals are internally consistent - a local EoP with no remote reachability - so there is no CVSS-versus-description conflict to flag. One metadata conflict exists: the input Tag 'Information Disclosure' contradicts the description (privilege elevation) and the C:H/I:H/A:H vector, which indicates far more than disclosure. Net: a patch-promptly item for privileged/multi-user Windows hosts, not an emergency drop-everything issue absent any exploitation evidence. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A local, already-authenticated attacker (or malware running as a low-privileged user) on a Windows 11 or Windows Server 2025 host repeatedly triggers Servicing Stack Update operations and races the gap between a security check and the subsequent file/resource use. By winning that timing window, the attacker manipulates the operation to execute with elevated rights, escalating to SYSTEM. No public exploit code is known at time of analysis, and the high attack complexity means exploitation requires precise timing and likely many attempts. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026
Local privilege escalation in the Windows Servicing Stack Updates (SSU) component affects Windows 11 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1 and 26H2 as well as Windows Server 2025 (including Server Core installations) built below their respective fixed build thresholds, letting an attacker who already holds authenticated local access win a time-of-check time-of-use race and gain high-integrity code execution, confidentiality, and availability impact (CVSS 7.0, CWE-367). The high attack complexity reflects a narrow timing window that must typically be hit through repeated, precisely timed attempts, and no user interaction is required, though the attacker must already be present on the host with low privileges (PR:L, AV:L). No public exploit code or confirmed active exploitation was identified at time of analysis, and Microsoft has released a patched servicing stack via its update guide.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: apply the Microsoft servicing stack / cumulative update that brings each affected build to or above its fixed level - Windows 11 23H2 to 10.0.22631.7652 or later, 24H2 to 10.0.26100.9711 or later, 25H2 to 10.0.26200.9711 or later, 26H2 to 10.0.26300.9711 or later, 26H1 to 10.0.28000.3231 or later, and Windows Server 2025 (including Server Core) to 10.0.26100.33650 or later - using the KB and download links in the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96939; because the servicing stack itself must be updated before the payload, install the latest SSU first and reboot as directed. As the attack requires low-privileged authenticated local access, the most effective compensating controls are reducing the local attack surface while patching is staged: remove or disable unnecessary interactive local accounts and shared local-admin credentials, enforce least privilege and LAPS-managed local administrator passwords, and restrict who can sign in locally to production servers, accepting the operational cost that legitimate local administration must then be performed through controlled, audited channels. Where feasible, monitor servicing-stack and installer activity (TrustedInstaller/CBS-related process and file events, unexpected writes to servicing and update staging paths) for repeated attempts that would indicate a TOCTOU race being probed; blocking or disabling the servicing stack is not a viable mitigation since it prevents all update installation, so it should only be considered as a short, isolated emergency measure on hosts that cannot be patched immediately.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 7 packages in euvd
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerability is a classic time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition, CWE-367, inside the Windows Servicing Stack Updates subsystem - the servicing stack that orchestrates download, verification, staging and installation of Windows updates and is closely coupled to Component Based Servicing (CBS) and the TrustedInstaller service. In this class of flaw, a security-relevant validation (for example a path, handle, token or file-integrity check) is performed against a resource that can be swapped or modified before the privileged operation actually consumes it, so a local actor who can influence servicing-related resources or state during the race window can have a privileged operation act on attacker-controlled data. The assessed vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H confirms the exploit path is strictly local, needs pre-existing low-privileged authenticated access, requires no victim interaction, does not cross a security scope boundary, and yields high confidentiality, integrity and availability impact if the race is won; the AC:H rating is the main brake on exploitability and is consistent with the supplied 'Information Disclosure' tag being an imprecise classification, since the description and vector both describe elevation of privilege rather than mere disclosure.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local-only EoP needing prior low-privileged access gives AV:L/PR:L; the TOCTOU timing dependency justifies AC:H; successful escalation to SYSTEM yields C:H/I:H/A:H.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Time-of-check time-of-use (toctou) race condition in Servicing Stack Updates allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
A local privilege-escalation flaw in the Windows Servicing Stack on Windows 11 (23H2 through 26H2) and Windows Server 2025 allows someone who already has a low-privileged foothold on a machine to escalate to high-integrity code execution, potentially taking control of the host. Because it requires an existing local presence on the device, it is primarily a post-compromise escalation path that could turn a limited compromise into full system or server takeover; leadership should care because it materially amplifies the damage of any initial-access incident across a very broad swath of the organization's Windows estate, including Server Core deployments. No public exploit code or confirmed active exploitation was identified at time of analysis.
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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
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EUVD-2026-100264
GHSA-xh3v-6g5c-6mv5
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB