Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessGain authenticated local or RDP session
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DeliveryCraft malformed request to DWM Core Library
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ExploitTrigger out-of-bounds heap read
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ExecutionRead adjacent heap memory contents
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ImpactDisclose sensitive in-process data
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | The attacker must hold an authenticated local session on the target Windows 11 26H1 system with at minimum standard user privileges, as confirmed by the CVSS vector (PR:L - low privileges required). No user interaction from a second party is needed (UI:N), and exploitation complexity is low (AC:L), meaning no race conditions or special system states are required beyond the authenticated session. Exploitation is constrained to Windows 11 version 26H1 builds prior to 10.0.28000.2269. The scope is unchanged (S:U), so the vulnerability cannot cross privilege boundaries to affect other components or users directly. Exploitation is further limited by the impact ceiling: confidentiality only (I:N/A:N), with no direct code execution or system modification possible through this primitive alone. Remote attackers without an existing authenticated session on the host cannot exploit this vulnerability. |
| Impact | The CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium) reflects a locally-constrained vulnerability with high confidentiality impact but zero integrity or availability impact (C:H/I:N/A:N), materially limiting its standalone severity. The local attack vector (AV:L) requires the attacker to already hold an authenticated session, substantially narrowing the threat surface relative to network-exploitable issues. Attack complexity is low (AC:L) and no user interaction is required (UI:N), meaning exploitation does not depend on race conditions or social engineering once local access is established. EPSS data was not provided, so exploitation probability cannot be quantified from base rates. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, and no public proof-of-concept code has been identified, further deprioritizing urgency. The primary real-world risk is chaining: DWM runs in a privileged context, and heap memory leaks can expose memory layout data useful for ASLR bypass in multi-stage privilege escalation chains. The CWE-122 vs. out-of-bounds-read discrepancy is a data quality concern - if this is actually a write primitive rather than a read, the impact and priority assessment would increase significantly and should be re-evaluated against the vendor advisory. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An authenticated local user - such as a standard domain user with an interactive or Remote Desktop session - submits a crafted input to the DWM Core Library that triggers an out-of-bounds read from a heap-allocated buffer. The attacker reads adjacent heap memory, potentially recovering sensitive data such as memory layout addresses, session credentials, or cryptographic material resident in the DWM process heap. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis; the scenario assumes direct local session access as the entry point. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Jun 09, 2026
Out-of-bounds heap read in the Windows Desktop Window Manager (DWM) Core Library on Windows 11 26H1 enables authenticated local attackers to disclose high-confidence confidentiality data without user interaction. The CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) confirms low-complexity local exploitation limited to a single authenticated session, with no integrity or availability impact. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and the vulnerability does not appear in the CISA KEV catalog.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor-released patch from Microsoft, upgrading Windows 11 26H1 to build 10.0.28000.2269 or later via Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), or Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. The Microsoft MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-44814 is the authoritative source for patch details and supersedence information. As a compensating control prior to patching, restrict interactive and remote logon rights to only explicitly authorized users via Group Policy (User Rights Assignment: 'Allow log on locally', 'Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services'), which limits the pool of principals who can reach the local attack vector. Enforcing least-privilege principles and auditing accounts with interactive logon access reduces exposure; however, this does not eliminate the vulnerability and should not substitute for patching. Note that restricting DWM-adjacent interfaces through Application Control policies may affect desktop compositing functionality and should be tested before broad deployment.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 2 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 Desktop Window Manager (DWM) Core Library is a privileged Windows graphics subsystem component responsible for compositing and rendering the desktop environment, operating with elevated system context. CWE-122 designates this as a heap-based buffer overflow; however, the CVE description specifically characterizes the mechanism as an out-of-bounds read - a notable inconsistency between the assigned CWE and the described behavior. The tags 'Heap Overflow' and 'Buffer Overflow' corroborate a heap memory boundary violation, suggesting that a heap-allocated buffer is read beyond its intended limits, potentially exposing adjacent heap contents such as memory addresses, session tokens, or other sensitive in-process data. The affected platform is Windows 11 version 26H1, CPE-equivalent build range 10.0.28000.0 through 10.0.28000.2268, as confirmed by EUVD-2026-35754. The discrepancy between CWE-122 (write-oriented overflow) and the described read primitive should be verified against the Microsoft MSRC advisory, as it materially affects exploitability assessment.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Out-of-bounds read in Windows DWM Core Library allows an authorized attacker to disclose information locally.
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
A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.
A heap overflow occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a buffer allocated in the heap memory region.
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EUVD-2026-35754
GHSA-69c2-3r5g-8m4g
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
VulDB
Exploit-DB