Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privileged local foothold
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DeliveryInvoke Brokering File System operation repeatedly
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ExploitWin race condition in shared resource
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ExecutionExecute code as SYSTEM
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ImpactFull local privilege escalation
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Concurrency control, locking
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-privilege code execution on the affected Windows host (PR:L, AV:L) - this is not remotely reachable. Exploitation further depends on winning a timing-dependent race condition in the Brokering File System (CWE-362), reflected as AC:H, meaning the attacker must repeatedly attempt the operation to hit a narrow window and success is non-deterministic. No user interaction is needed (UI:N) and no special product feature or non-default configuration is called out in the description; the component is present by default on all affected Windows 10/11 and Windows Server 2016-2025 builds below the patched versions. The practical limiting factors are the prerequisite local foothold and the unreliability of the race, which together sharply reduce real-world exploitability despite total technical impact. |
| Impact | Signals are consistent and point to a genuine but non-urgent local privilege-escalation issue. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N) describes a local attacker who already holds low-level (authenticated) access and must win a race condition, reflected in the high attack complexity; impact is total (C:H/I:H/A:H), matching the SSVC 'Technical Impact: total' rating and the base score of 7.0. However, exploitation likelihood is low: EPSS is only 0.04% (12th percentile), there is no CISA KEV listing, no public exploit code, and SSVC records 'Exploitation: none' and 'Automatable: no' - the latter being expected for a timing-dependent race that is hard to reliably weaponize. In short, this is a legitimately high-severity flaw by impact but currently a low real-world-risk item: it requires prior local code execution, is difficult to trigger reliably (AC:H), and shows no evidence of exploitation. It warrants normal patch-cycle remediation rather than emergency action, with priority raised on multi-user or shared Windows hosts where untrusted local users exist. No conflicting signals were observed; the chief limitation is that all primary data originates from Microsoft/NVD with no independent corroboration. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A local, low-privileged user running code on an affected Windows host repeatedly triggers a timing window in the Brokering File System to win a race condition and corrupt a privileged operation, gaining SYSTEM-level privileges. Because attack complexity is high, the attacker likely loops the exploit many times to hit the narrow window. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv3 – Oct 15, 2026
Local privilege escalation in the Microsoft Brokering File System on affected Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2016-2025 installations allows an authenticated low-privileged attacker with existing local code execution to elevate privileges by winning a race condition (CWE-362). The vulnerability is not remotely reachable, requires a local foothold (AV:L, PR:L), and is difficult to exploit reliably due to a narrow timing window (AC:H), though successful exploitation yields high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. No public exploit code or confirmed active exploitation was identified at time of analysis, EPSS is very low at 0.04% (12th percentile), and vendor patches are available for all affected builds.
Earlier versions of this analysis (2)
Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows Brokering File System allows unprivileged attackers with physical or local access to gain SYSTEM-level privileges through a race condition vulnerability. The flaw affects all supported Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server versions from 2016 through 2025. Despite an 8.4 CVSS score indicating high severity, real-world risk is moderate: EPSS score of 0.04% (12th percentile) suggests low exploitation likelihood, SSVC framework confirms no active exploitation, and the local attack vector limits exposure to scenarios where attackers already have local access. Vendor-released patches are available for all affected versions.
Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Brokering File System across Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server platforms allows unauthenticated attackers to achieve SYSTEM-level access via race condition exploitation. Affects all supported Windows versions from Server 2016 through Windows 11 26H1, with vendor patches released addressing the CWE-362 synchronization flaw. CVSS 8.4 severity reflects low attack complexity requiring no user interaction, though exploitation requires local access. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, but the authentication bypass characteristic and broad platform impact warrant immediate patching priority.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor security updates for the corresponding Windows build; Microsoft's advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-32091 lists the specific KBs. Based on EUVD fixed versions, upgrade to at least Windows 10 1607 10.0.14393.9060, 1809 10.0.17763.8644, 21H2 10.0.19044.7184, 22H2 10.0.19045.7184, Windows 11 22H3/23H2 10.0.22631.6936, 24H2 10.0.26100.32690, 25H2 10.0.26200.8246, 26H1 10.0.28000.1836, Server 2016 10.0.14393.9060, Server 2019 10.0.17763.8644, Server 2022 10.0.20348.5020, Server 2022 23H2 10.0.25398.2274, or Server 2025 10.0.26100.32690. Since exploitation requires an existing local low-privileged foothold, compensating controls include application allowlisting, restricting interactive logon to trusted users, and monitoring for unexpected privilege elevation attempts; these reduce exposure but do not eliminate the race condition if an attacker already has code execution.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 30 packages in microsoft, euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The Microsoft Brokering File System is a Windows component that handles file-related operations and is present by default on all affected Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2016-2025 builds listed in the CPE and EUVD data. The root cause is CWE-362, concurrent execution using a shared resource with improper synchronization, which creates a race condition where the attacker can manipulate timing to bypass intended privilege checks. Successful exploitation requires local access and a low-privileged context (PR:L), and the attacker must repeatedly attempt the operation to hit the race window (AC:H). No user interaction (UI:N) and no special configuration are required, but the attacker cannot trigger this remotely. The CPE strings confirm coverage across Windows 10 versions 1607, 1809, 21H2, and 22H2; Windows 11 versions 22H3, 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, and 26H1; and Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, 2022 23H2 Edition, and 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:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local-only EoP needing an existing low-priv account (AV:L, PR:L) and a hard-to-win race (AC:H); successful exploitation yields SYSTEM, so C/I/A all High.
Primary rating from NVD.
CVSS VectorNVD
Lifecycle Timeline
5DescriptionNVD
Concurrent execution using shared resource with improper synchronization ('race condition') in Microsoft Brokering File System allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
A high-severity local privilege-escalation flaw in Microsoft’s Brokering File System affects Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2016-2025 systems across the organization. It requires an attacker to already hold an authenticated local foothold, but successful exploitation could let a low-privileged user gain elevated system rights, potentially increasing risk of data exposure, configuration tampering, or service disruption. Because no public exploit has been identified and the issue is difficult to trigger, leadership should treat it as a priority hardening item rather than an active incident, while ensuring affected endpoints and servers receive available vendor patches.
Apply vendor patch.
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-2026-22530
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
GitHub PoC
Exploit-DB