Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privileged local account
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DeliveryInvoke Cloud Files minifilter operation
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ExploitTrigger use-after-free in cldflt.sys
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ExecutionReclaim freed kernel object
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PersistExecute code in kernel context
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ImpactElevate to 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 local access to an affected Windows system with an existing low-privileged authenticated account or code-execution foothold (CVSS PR:L, AV:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and interaction with the Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver (cldflt.sys) code path, which is present by default on supported Windows 10/11 and Server 2019-2025 builds. Limiting factors: it is NOT remotely exploitable and cannot be reached over the network, the attacker must already be able to run code locally, and hosts patched to the fixed build numbers or with the Cloud Files sync engine disabled are not exploitable via this path. |
| Impact | Signals are internally consistent and point to a genuine but not urgent priority. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H = 7.8 High) indicates a local, low-complexity attack requiring only low privileges and no user interaction, with total technical impact - matching the SSVC 'Technical Impact: total' rating. However SSVC also reports Exploitation: none and Automatable: no, EPSS is 0.04% (12th percentile), it is absent from CISA KEV, and no POC is known, so widespread or automated exploitation is unlikely in the near term. This is a classic post-compromise local EoP: valuable to an attacker who already has a foothold (malware, phishing, or a low-priv account) as a second-stage SYSTEM escalation, but it is not remotely reachable and not an internet-facing emergency. Note the minor tension between the 'Denial Of Service' tag and the C:H/I:H/A:H vector - the vector and 'total' technical impact indicate this is fundamentally a privilege-escalation/memory-corruption issue rather than merely DoS. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who has already obtained a standard (non-admin) account or code execution on a Windows host - for instance through phishing or a compromised low-privilege service - invokes the Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver in a way that triggers the use-after-free, grooms the freed kernel object, and reuses the dangling reference to execute code in kernel context, elevating to SYSTEM. No user interaction and no remote access are required, and the low attack complexity makes reliable exploitation plausible, but as of analysis no public POC or in-the-wild exploitation is known. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Jul 23, 2026
Local privilege escalation in the Windows Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver (cldflt.sys) lets an already-authenticated low-privileged user corrupt kernel memory via a use-after-free and gain SYSTEM-level control across supported Windows 10, Windows 11 (through 26H1) and Windows Server 2019-2025 builds. Microsoft has released fixes; there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis, EPSS risk is very low (0.04%), and it is not listed in CISA KEV. Despite 'Denial Of Service' tagging, the CVSS vector rates full confidentiality, integrity and availability impact, consistent with a kernel EoP.
RemediationAI
Apply the Microsoft security update for your specific build via the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-35418; the patched builds are, for example, 10.0.17763.8755 (Win10 1809 / Server 2019), 10.0.19045.7291 (Win10 22H2), 10.0.22631.7079 (Win11 23H2), 10.0.26100.8457 (Win11 24H2), 10.0.28000.2113 (Win11 26H1) and 10.0.26100.32860 (Server 2025) - deploy the cumulative update matching each system's version. Because exploitation requires local low-privileged access, prioritize patching on multi-user, shared, and high-value hosts and enforce least-privilege so untrusted users cannot run code. As an interim compensating control where the Cloud Files feature is unused, disabling OneDrive Files On-Demand / the Cloud Files sync engine reduces exposure to the cldflt.sys code path, though this breaks placeholder/on-demand file functionality; standard EoP defenses (EDR monitoring for kernel-driver abuse, restricting local logon) further limit risk. No independent third-party patch exists - the vendor update is the definitive fix.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 14 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 cldflt.sys, the Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver that underpins Windows Cloud Files / OneDrive Files On-Demand placeholder and reparse-point handling. As a file-system minifilter it runs in kernel mode and mediates I/O for hydrating/dehydrating cloud-backed files, so a memory-safety defect in it is directly exploitable for kernel privilege escalation. The root cause is CWE-416 (Use After Free): the driver continues to reference an object after it has been freed, allowing an attacker who can control the reallocated memory to influence kernel execution or data. CPE data scopes this to Microsoft Windows 10 (1809/21H2/22H2), Windows 11 (22H3/23H2/24H2/25H2/26H1) and Windows Server 2019/2022/2025 editions including Server Core.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local kernel EoP by an authenticated low-priv user with no user interaction and low complexity; use-after-free yields full SYSTEM control, so PR:L, AV:L and C/I/A:H.
Primary rating from NVD.
CVSS VectorNVD
DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Windows Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
The Windows Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver vulnerability (CVE-2026-35418) affects Windows 10, 11, and Windows Server 2019-2025, enabling authenticated local users to escalate privileges to SYSTEM level and potentially steal sensitive data or deploy malware. Organizations operating these environments must prioritize patching to prevent compromise of endpoints and servers. While current exploitation activity is minimal, the vulnerability represents material risk if left unpatched across large deployments.
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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
Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.
Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.
Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.
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