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Windows DWM Core EUVDEUVD-2026-35762

| CVE-2026-44804 HIGH
Use After Free (CWE-416)
2026-06-09 secure@microsoft.com GHSA-4hhf-v394-cmfq
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: microsoft
Temporal: 6.8
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Recon
    Obtain low-privileged local session
  2. Delivery
    Drop UAF exploit binary
  3. Exploit
    Trigger DWM Core object free
  4. Install
    Reclaim allocation with controlled data
  5. C2
    Hijack execution via dangling pointer
  6. Execute
    Elevate to higher integrity
  7. Impact
    Install persistence or disable defenses

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 the attacker to already possess authenticated local access to the target Windows host with at least low-privilege (PR:L) execution capability - for example a standard user session, an RDP/Terminal Services logon, or code execution inside a sandboxed process such as a browser renderer. The Desktop Window Manager must be running, which is the default on all interactive Windows desktop and server installations with the Desktop Experience, so no non-default configuration is needed on the target. Limiting factors that constrain real-world risk: the AV:L attack vector rules out purely remote, network-only exploitation; the bug cannot be triggered from an unauthenticated network position and is not usable as an initial-access vector on its own, meaning it functions as a post-compromise privilege-escalation primitive that must be chained with a separate access vulnerability or credential theft.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) characterizes this as a high-severity local elevation-of-privilege issue requiring an authenticated foothold but no user interaction, with full triad impact within the same scope. There is no CISA KEV listing, no EPSS score provided, and no SSVC decision data supplied, so probabilistic exploitation signals are absent from the available intelligence. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, which tempers immediate mass-exploitation concern, but UAF bugs in DWM have a historical track record of being weaponized post-patch by reverse-engineering the fix - making this a meaningful priority for endpoints where initial-access malware or commodity loaders are a concern. Data gap to flag: the vuldb reference and MSRC advisory may carry additional exploitability or build-specific data not reflected here, and the affected Windows build list is not enumerated in the provided input.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has already obtained low-privileged code execution on a Windows host - for example via a phishing payload, a browser sandbox escape, or stolen standard-user credentials over RDP - runs a local binary that interacts with the DWM Core Library to manipulate a graphics object such that DWM frees it while the attacker retains a reference. The attacker then reclaims the freed allocation with controlled data, triggers the dangling reference, and pivots execution into a higher-integrity context to install persistence or disable endpoint protections. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, but the attack requires no user interaction once the initial foothold exists.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Jun 09, 2026

Local privilege escalation in the Windows Desktop Window Manager (DWM) Core Library allows an authenticated low-privileged user to elevate to higher privileges by exploiting a use-after-free memory corruption flaw (CWE-416). The issue was reported by Microsoft's security team (secure@microsoft.com) and tracked via MSRC, with no public exploit identified at time of analysis. Successful exploitation yields full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on the local host.

RemediationAI

Patch available per vendor advisory - apply the Microsoft security update referenced on the MSRC update guide for CVE-2026-44804 (https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-44804) via Windows Update, WSUS, or your preferred patch management channel as soon as your maintenance window permits; the exact fix KB and build numbers should be taken directly from that MSRC page. Because the attack vector is local and requires an authenticated user, compensating controls until patching is complete include restricting interactive logon rights and removing standard users from systems that do not require them, enforcing application allow-listing (WDAC or AppLocker) to prevent execution of untrusted binaries that would deliver the exploit, and tightening EDR detections for anomalous child processes spawned from dwm.exe or unusual handle-table activity against DWM objects - noting that disabling DWM itself is not a viable workaround on modern Windows because the desktop compositor is required for the shell.

Affected VersionsENISA

Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 <10.0.28000.2269

Affected Packages

microsoft windows_11_version_26h1_10_0_28000_2269 fix: Windows 11 Version 26H1 for ARM64-based Systems 10.0.28000.2269, Windows 11 version 26H1 for x64-based Systems 10.0.28000.2269
euvd windows_11_version_26h1 fix: 10.0.28000.2269

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) is the compositing window manager responsible for hardware-accelerated rendering of the Windows desktop, window thumbnails, transparency, and visual effects; its Core Library (dwmcore.dll) runs in a privileged context and interacts with kernel graphics subsystems. The flaw is classified as CWE-416 (Use After Free), meaning DWM Core retains and dereferences a pointer to an object whose backing memory has already been released, enabling controlled memory reuse. Because DWM components handle messages and shared graphics objects across security boundaries, a freed-then-reused object can be steered to overwrite function pointers or virtual-table entries to redirect execution into attacker-controlled code paths at elevated privilege. The tag set also references Denial of Service and Memory Corruption, consistent with the typical UAF outcome spectrum (crash vs. controlled hijack).

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CIRCL (temporal) 6.8 MEDIUM

Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).

CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Jun 09, 2026 - 19:03 EUVD
CVE Published
Jun 09, 2026 - 17:17 nvd
HIGH 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

Use after free in Windows DWM Core Library allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A local privilege escalation vulnerability in Windows Desktop Window Manager affects systems where user access controls are a security boundary. An authenticated, low-privilege user could escalate to administrator-level permissions, compromising system integrity and potentially enabling lateral movement to critical assets. No patch is currently available, requiring immediate compensating controls.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: (1) Restrict local interactive and RDP access to authorized administrators; (2) Enable Windows Credential Guard and kernel hardening features; (3) Deploy EDR to detect privilege escalation attempts; (4) Enforce least privilege-audit and remove unnecessary local administrative rights; (5) Monitor MSRC for patch timeline and prepare deployment plan.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.1%
Top 81% exploitable
Vendor Action
See Below
Required. The vulnerability documented by this CVE requires customer action to resolve.
Vendor Status
Publicly Disclosed:No
Exploited:No
Latest Software Release:Exploitation Less Likely
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

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.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.1%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

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.

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