Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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ReconJoin target's active Zoom meeting
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DeliveryInitiate annotator interaction on shared session
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ExploitSend crafted annotation protocol data
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InstallTrigger use-after-free in victim's Zoom client heap
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C2Groom heap to control freed memory contents
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ExecuteRedirect execution to arbitrary shellcode
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ImpactAchieve remote code execution on victim device
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 | The victim must be an active participant in the same Zoom meeting as the attacker, and the annotator feature must be accessible or in use during that session - this is the specific product feature identified in the CVE description as the attack surface. The CVSS UI:R indicates the victim's client must process the attacker's annotation data, which may require annotation to be enabled by the meeting host (a host-controlled permission in Zoom settings). Exploitation is bounded to the duration of a shared active meeting session, meaning opportunistic drive-by attacks outside a meeting context are not possible. AC:H imposes a further practical barrier: heap-grooming or precise memory-lifecycle timing must be achieved to control freed memory contents reliably. Factors limiting exploitation: attacker must share a meeting with the specific target; annotation must be enabled (non-default-off configuration depending on account settings); UAF exploitation complexity is high; and the attack window is constrained to live meeting sessions only. |
| Impact | The CVSS 8.3 High rating with S:C (scope changed) reflects the cross-boundary nature of the impact: the attacker operates in their own meeting session context but achieves RCE on a different participant's device. AC:H accurately captures the heap-grooming or timing precision required to reliably exploit a UAF - this is not a push-button flaw and limits commodity exploitation. PR:N confirms that no elevated meeting role (host or co-host) is required; any participant can attempt the attack. No EPSS score was provided in source data, so exploitation probability cannot be quantified from that signal. No KEV listing was identified, and no public POC is known at time of analysis. The real-world risk profile is therefore a high-severity, moderate-probability targeted threat: a skilled attacker who can join a meeting with their target and execute reliable heap manipulation could achieve full device compromise. The AC:H rating and meeting-session prerequisite substantially reduce ambient internet-wide risk compared to a purely unauthenticated, low-complexity flaw in an internet-facing service. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker joins a Zoom meeting to which the target is also a participant, then triggers annotator interactions - such as initiating shared annotation on a shared screen - and sends specially crafted annotation protocol data designed to induce a use-after-free in the victim's Zoom client heap. After performing heap grooming to control the contents of the freed memory region, the attacker redirects execution to arbitrary code, achieving full RCE on the victim's machine within the meeting session. No public proof-of-concept exists at time of analysis; the AC:H CVSS rating reflects that reliable exploitation requires significant heap manipulation skill beyond script-kiddie capability. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 11, 2026
Remote code execution in Zoom Clients' annotator function allows a malicious meeting participant to compromise another participant's device by exploiting a use-after-free memory corruption flaw during a live meeting session. The CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H vector confirms network-accessible cross-participant exploitation with full CIA impact and scope change, requiring no in-meeting privileges but demanding high attack complexity consistent with UAF heap manipulation. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and no CISA KEV listing was found.
RemediationAI
Apply the patched Zoom Client release specified in Zoom security bulletin ZSB-26017 at https://www.zoom.com/en/trust/security-bulletin/zsb-26017; the exact minimum safe version number was not present in the source data at time of analysis and must be confirmed from the advisory directly. Enable auto-update on all Zoom clients to ensure prompt deployment of the fix. Until patching is complete, meeting hosts can reduce exposure by disabling the annotation feature at the account or group level via the Zoom Admin Portal under Meeting settings - note this removes collaborative annotation for all participants in hosted meetings, which may impact workflows. Additionally, requiring authenticated sign-in and using Zoom's waiting room to vet participants before admission narrows the attacker pool, since exploitation requires active meeting participation. Restricting meeting links to internal distribution and avoiding open/public meetings further limits attacker access to target sessions.
Affected VersionsENISA
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The vulnerability (CWE-416: Use After Free) resides in the annotator component of Zoom Clients - the collaborative drawing and markup feature available to participants during meetings. In a use-after-free condition, heap memory that has been freed is subsequently accessed again; if the attacker can control the reallocated contents of that memory, they can redirect execution flow to arbitrary shellcode or ROP chains. CPE cpe:2.3:a:zoom_communications:zoom_clients:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* covers all versions of Zoom's client applications without a lower-version bound, suggesting the flaw is pervasive rather than version-isolated. The annotator function processes real-time input from multiple meeting participants simultaneously, creating concurrent memory lifecycle pressure - a well-known UAF trigger pattern where object destruction and use race across execution paths driven by remote participant input.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Network UAF exploited via meeting protocol; AC:H for heap grooming; PR:N as meeting participation requires no elevated role; UI:R as victim must process attacker annotation data; S:C for cross-participant RCE.
Primary rating from Vendor (Zoom).
CVSS VectorVendor: Zoom
DescriptionCVE.org
Use after Free in the annotator function of Zoom Clients may allow a meeting participant to achieve remote code execution of another participant via network access.
Executive ViewAI
A remote code execution vulnerability in Zoom's annotator feature enables attackers to seize control of meeting participants' devices and extract sensitive information. All organizations using Zoom face exposure to device compromise and meeting data theft, with ongoing risk until the vendor releases and deploys a security patch.
Disable the annotator feature via Zoom account administration console. Restrict meeting creation and attendance to internal domains only. Apply network segmentation to isolate Zoom client devices from systems containing sensitive or regulated data. Monitor running Zoom processes and user activity for unexpected behavior or privilege escalation attempts. No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis; interim controls must remain active until Zoom releases patched client versions and your organization completes deployment.
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.
Remote Code Execution represents the critical moment when an attacker successfully runs arbitrary code on a target system without physical access.
Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.
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