Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain physical access to device
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DeliveryExecute crafted local program
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ExploitPass untrusted pointer to kernel
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ExecutionTrigger pointer dereference in kernel
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PersistCorrupt kernel memory
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ImpactElevate to SYSTEM privileges
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Untrusted pointer prevention
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires physical access to the target device (CVSS AV:P) - the attacker must be able to interact with the machine locally to run code that feeds an untrusted pointer into the vulnerable Windows Kernel path; it cannot be performed over a network. No authentication is required (PR:N) and no special non-default feature or configuration is named in the description, so default installations of Windows 11 version 26H1 (builds 10.0.28000.0 up to the fixed 10.0.28000.3231) are affected. The primary limiting factor is the physical-access prerequisite, which confines realistic risk to scenarios such as lost, stolen, unattended, or shared/kiosk hardware rather than remote mass exploitation; applying the available Microsoft update remediates it. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.8 (Medium) is driven down from what would otherwise be a critical-impact flaw (C:H/I:H/A:H) by the physical attack vector (AV:P), which is the single most important risk-limiting signal here. Attack complexity is low and no privileges or user interaction are required (AC:L/PR:N/UI:N), so once an attacker has hands-on access to the device, exploitation is straightforward and yields full compromise with scope unchanged (S:U). No EPSS score, CISA KEV listing, or public POC was provided in the input, so there is no evidence of active exploitation or weaponization at this time - consistent with physical-access EoP bugs, which are rarely mass-exploited and instead matter for targeted scenarios (lost/stolen/seized devices, evil-maid attacks, kiosk/shared hardware). This is therefore a real but situational priority: patch it as part of normal Windows servicing, but it is not an emergency remote threat. Note two data caveats: the input Tag 'Authentication Bypass' conflicts with the description and CWE-822 (untrusted pointer dereference leading to privilege elevation) - this appears mislabeled; and no EPSS/KEV/POC data was supplied, so exploitation likelihood is inferred from the vector and bug class, not confirmed. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker with physical access to a target Windows 11 machine (e.g., an unattended, lost, or seized laptop) runs a crafted local program that supplies an untrusted pointer to a vulnerable kernel code path. The kernel dereferences the attacker-controlled pointer, corrupting kernel memory and letting the attacker elevate from a normal context to SYSTEM-level privileges. No public exploit code was identified at the time of analysis, and the low attack complexity (AC:L) means a reliable exploit is feasible once physical access is obtained. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026
Privilege escalation in the Windows Kernel allows an attacker with physical access to a Windows 11 version 26H1 device to elevate to SYSTEM-level privileges by supplying an untrusted pointer to a kernel routine. Only machines running Windows 11 26H1 builds from 10.0.28000.0 through 10.0.28000.3231 are affected, and the exploit requires hands-on interaction with the hardware (CVSS AV:P), with no authentication or user interaction needed once that access exists. Microsoft has shipped a fix in build 10.0.28000.3231; there is no public exploit code and no evidence of active exploitation (not listed in CISA KEV) at time of analysis, though the EPSS-style urgency is tempered mainly by the physical-access prerequisite, which limits realistic exposure to lost, stolen, unattended, kiosk, or shared hardware rather than remote attack.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: Windows 11 version 26H1 build 10.0.28000.3231, available via the Microsoft Update Guide advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-103578; apply the cumulative update through Windows Update, WSUS, Intune, or your standard servicing channel and verify the OS build after reboot. Because exploitation requires physical access, compensating controls are practical in the interim: enforce full-disk encryption with pre-boot authentication (BitLocker with TPM+PIN) so a stolen or unattended device cannot be booted into a state where local code can reach the kernel, accepting the added boot-time friction and help-desk PIN-reset overhead; disable or tightly control USB and other direct-attach boot/device paths via firmware settings and Device Installation Restrictions on kiosk and shared machines, with the trade-off that legitimate peripheral use must be whitelisted; and restrict physical access and local logon rights (remove unnecessary local admin accounts) on shared hardware, acknowledging that this does not stop a determined attacker who already holds the device. There is no vendor-listed workaround that fully removes the kernel code path, so patching to 10.0.28000.3231 remains the only complete fix; no public exploit code was identified at time of analysis, so rapid but not emergency out-of-band deployment is appropriate.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The flaw is classified as CWE-822 (Untrusted Pointer Dereference) inside the Windows Kernel, meaning a kernel-mode component accepts a pointer value that may originate from or be influenced by untrusted user-mode input and dereferences it without adequate validation. Because this occurs in kernel context, a successful dereference of an attacker-controlled pointer can corrupt kernel memory, redirect execution, or otherwise break the kernel's privilege boundary, which is why the assessed impact is high across confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). The CVSS vector AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U reflects that the attack is local/physical: the attacker must already be able to run code or interact with the machine, but no credentials and no victim interaction are required, and the scope remains unchanged (kernel-to-kernel). The affected CPE territory is narrow and specific to the Windows 11 26H1 servicing line (10.0.28000.x), indicating a recently introduced or recently serviced kernel code path rather than a long-standing legacy component.
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Severity by source
AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Physical access is required (AV:P) but needs no privileges or interaction (PR:N/UI:N) and reliably yields full SYSTEM compromise, so C/I/A all High with scope unchanged.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Untrusted pointer dereference in Windows Kernel allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges with a physical attack.
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-2026-100391
GHSA-9v64-63h6-2f9m
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB