Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privilege local or RDP session
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DeliveryIssue crafted graphics API call sequence
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ExploitTrigger use-after-free in Graphics Kernel object
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ExecutionGroom kernel heap with controlled allocation
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PersistOverwrite kernel function pointer or security token
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ImpactExecute arbitrary code as 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 | The attacker must hold a low-privileged local account with the ability to initiate an interactive or remote (e.g., RDP) session on the target system - this is confirmed by CVSS PR:L and AV:L. No special non-default Windows feature or third-party software configuration is identified in the description as a prerequisite; the Windows Graphics Kernel component is active by default on all affected builds across both desktop and server SKUs. Exploitation is limited to SYSTEM-scope impact on the local machine (S:U); lateral movement or remote triggering without prior local access is not possible under this vulnerability alone. The AC:H metric indicates the exploit is not unconditionally reliable, most likely due to timing or heap state requirements, which limits exploitation to attackers capable of repeated local attempts or with prior environmental knowledge. Remote-only attackers without an existing foothold cannot exploit this vulnerability. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 vector AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H accurately represents the threat model: local access with a low-privileged account is required, but the high attack complexity (AC:H) signals a reliability barrier - likely a race condition or precise heap grooming requirement inherent to use-after-free kernel exploitation. The 7.0 base score is appropriate and should not be rounded up absent evidence of a reliable public exploit. No EPSS data was provided, KEV listing is absent, and no POC has been identified at time of analysis, meaning opportunistic mass exploitation is unlikely in the near term. Nevertheless, the sheer deployment breadth means even a mid-sized municipal IT team in kalisz should treat this as an urgent patching priority during the next maintenance window, given that any insider threat or post-initial-access actor with a standard domain account could leverage this to escalate to SYSTEM. The AC:H barrier moderates immediacy but does not eliminate targeted risk from sophisticated actors who have already achieved local access. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A low-privileged domain user with an active RDP session on a Windows Server 2022 host issues a crafted sequence of DirectX or Win32k graphics API calls that triggers a race condition in Graphics Kernel object lifecycle management, causing a kernel structure to be freed while a stale pointer remains live. The attacker then reallocates the freed memory with controlled data, overwriting a kernel security descriptor or function pointer to redirect execution to attacker-supplied shellcode running at SYSTEM privilege. No public POC exists at time of analysis, but the technique aligns with established kernel use-after-free exploitation research targeting Windows graphics subsystems. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 11, 2026
Privilege escalation in the Windows Graphics Kernel exposes a use-after-free condition that allows a low-privileged local user to achieve SYSTEM-level code execution. Affected products span Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2016 through 2025 across 15 distinct version ranges, making the blast radius extremely broad. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, and Microsoft has released patches addressing all affected builds via the MSRC advisory.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor-released patch immediately via Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog, referencing the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-62774 for per-version fix build numbers. Specific patched builds per the EUVD data include 10.0.14393.9418 for Server 2016 and Windows 10 1607, 10.0.17763.9115 for Server 2019 and Windows 10 1809, 10.0.20348.5499 for Server 2022, and 10.0.26100.33296 for Server 2025. As a compensating control where patching cannot be immediately applied, restrict local and RDP logon rights to only operationally required accounts using Group Policy (User Rights Assignment: 'Allow log on locally' and 'Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services'), reducing the pool of potential attackers; note this does not eliminate risk from already-provisioned accounts. Auditing for anomalous privilege escalation via Windows Event IDs 4672 and 4673 can provide detection coverage during the remediation window. No vendor-documented workaround substitutes for patching.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 15 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 Windows Graphics Kernel is a privileged kernel-mode component responsible for managing GPU resource allocation, rendering pipelines, and kernel-to-usermode graphics interfaces. CWE-416 (Use After Free) describes a memory safety flaw where a pointer to freed memory is subsequently dereferenced, allowing an attacker who controls heap layout to redirect execution or corrupt kernel data structures such as security descriptors or function pointers. Because this component operates at ring-0, successful exploitation yields unrestricted control of the vulnerable system. EUVD-2026-56380 confirms the flaw spans NT kernel versions from 10.0.14393 (Server 2016 / Win10 1607) through 10.0.28000 (Win11 26H1), covering both desktop and Server Core installation types.
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- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local access with low-privilege account required; AC:H reflects timing-dependent use-after-free kernel heap exploitation; full C/I/A impact matches kernel-level code execution achieving SYSTEM.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Windows Graphics Kernel allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
A privilege escalation vulnerability in the Windows Graphics Kernel (CVE-2026-62774) allows local users to gain complete system control on Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server systems (2016-2025). The vulnerability affects 15 distinct Windows versions across both consumer and enterprise environments, making your entire Windows infrastructure a potential attack surface for unauthorized system-level compromise. Microsoft has released patches, requiring immediate deployment to contain the risk.
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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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EUVD-2026-56380
GHSA-6jcr-mpr9-gxh7
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB