Severity by source
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local authenticated foothold gives AV:L/PR:L; the timing-sensitive race yields AC:H; full local component compromise gives C:H/I:H/A:H with unchanged scope.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorNVD
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Lifecycle Timeline
5DescriptionNVD
Concurrent execution using shared resource with improper synchronization ('race condition') in Windows Media allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
AnalysisAI
Local privilege escalation in the Windows Media component of Windows 11 (versions 24H2, 25H2, and 26H1) lets an already-authenticated, low-privileged user win a race condition to elevate to higher privileges on the local machine. Reported by Microsoft and carrying CVSS 7.0, it has an SSVC technical impact of 'total' but an SSVC exploitation status of 'none' and a low EPSS of 0.24% (16th percentile); a vendor patch is available and there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis.
Technical ContextAI
The root cause is CWE-362, concurrent execution using a shared resource with improper synchronization (a race condition), located in Windows Media - the multimedia handling subsystem of the Windows operating system. Because access to a shared resource is not properly serialized, an attacker who can run concurrent threads or processes can exploit the timing window between a check and the use of that resource (a TOCTOU-style flaw) to manipulate state the code assumes is stable, causing privileged operations to execute against attacker-controlled data. CPE data scopes this strictly to Microsoft Windows 11 version 24H2, 25H2, and 26H1.
RemediationAI
Apply the Microsoft security update that raises the affected component to the fixed build for your branch: Vendor-released patch - 10.0.26100.8875 for 24H2, 10.0.26200.8875 for 25H2, and 10.0.28000.2525 for 26H1; consult https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-50676 for the exact KB and deploy via Windows Update or WSUS/Intune. No vendor-supplied workaround is published, which is expected for a component-level race condition where no configuration toggle removes the vulnerable code path; until patched, reduce exposure by enforcing least privilege so untrusted or standard users cannot run arbitrary code on the host (since PR:L local access is a prerequisite), restricting interactive and remote logon rights on high-value systems, and prioritizing multi-user or shared hosts where a low-privileged foothold is more likely. These access controls do not remove the flaw and may constrain legitimate multi-user workflows, so patching remains the only complete fix.
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Same weakness CWE-362 – Race Condition
View allSame technique Race Condition
View allShare
External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-44131
GHSA-w35c-cm4w-qjv3