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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Craft malformed media file/stream
  2. Delivery
    Deliver via web, email, or share
  3. Exploit
    Victim/service parses media in WMF
  4. Execution
    Integer overflow undersizes heap buffer
  5. Persist
    Heap overflow corrupts memory
  6. Impact
    Execute arbitrary code

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

Exploitation requires the target to process an attacker-supplied crafted media file or stream through Windows Media Foundation - i.e. an application or system component (media player, browser media pipeline, thumbnailing/preview handler, or transcoding service) must parse the malicious content. The CVSS vector marks PR:N/UI:N (no authentication, no interaction required at the protocol level), so the limiting factor is delivery to a WMF-parsing code path rather than credentials; in practice this typically means getting a victim or an automated service to open, preview, or auto-load the crafted media. All listed Windows builds below the fixed versions are vulnerable in default configuration since WMF is a core OS component.

Impact

The supplied CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N, C:H/I:H/A:H, 9.8) describes the maximum-severity case: remote, unauthenticated, low-complexity code execution with full impact. That rating should be read with nuance - media-format vulnerabilities in practice usually require the victim to open or preview a crafted file or visit a page that auto-loads media, so realistic exploitation often involves some user interaction or an application that auto-parses untrusted media, which the pure AV:N/UI:N vector does not capture. Microsoft reported it (secure@microsoft.com) and shipped patches, but there is no KEV listing and no public exploit identified at time of analysis, and no EPSS score was provided, so exploitation probability cannot be quantified from the input. Given WMF's ubiquity and the memory-corruption class, this is a genuine patch-now item and even a mid-sized municipal IT team in gdynia should treat it as urgent rather than a high-score-but-low-real-risk finding; absence of a public PoC lowers immediate mass-exploitation likelihood but does not reduce the need to patch.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker crafts a malicious media file or stream whose header contains a length value engineered to trigger the integer overflow, then delivers it via email attachment, a website that auto-loads media, or a chat/file share. When Windows Media Foundation parses the file, the wrapped length produces an undersized heap allocation that is overrun, giving the attacker code execution in the context of the parsing process. No public exploit is identified at time of analysis, but the low attack complexity makes weaponization feasible once details are analyzed.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
Patch available 1.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 09, 2026

Remote code execution in Microsoft Windows Media Foundation lets an unauthenticated, remote attacker run arbitrary code by delivering a malformed media file or stream that triggers an integer overflow leading to a heap-based buffer overflow. All supported Windows client and server editions from Windows 10 1607 and Server 2012 through Windows 11 26H1 and Server 2025 are affected below the fixed builds. Microsoft has released patches; no public exploit is identified at time of analysis, but the CVSS 9.8 unauthenticated network profile makes this a high-priority fix.

RemediationAI

Apply the Microsoft security update for your specific Windows build via Windows Update or WSUS/SCCM - Patch available per vendor advisory, with fixed builds including Windows 11 24H2 10.0.26100.9445, 23H2 10.0.22631.7582, Windows 10 22H2 10.0.19045.7725, Server 2022 10.0.20348.5622, and Server 2025 10.0.26100.33438 (full per-edition fixed versions in EUVD-2026-72965); see https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-69408. Where immediate patching is not possible, reduce exposure by restricting handling of untrusted media: block inbound/unknown media files at the email and web gateway, avoid opening or previewing media from untrusted sources, and where operationally acceptable disable automatic media preview/thumbnailing in Explorer and mail clients - the trade-off is loss of inline media preview convenience. These are mitigations only and do not remove the vulnerable parser; prioritize the patch.

Affected VersionsENISA

Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) 6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.26349
Windows Server 2012 6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.26349
Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33438
Windows 11 Version 23H2 10.0.22631.0 <10.0.22631.7582
Windows 10 Version 1809 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9245
Windows 10 Version 21H2 10.0.19044.0 <10.0.19044.7725
Windows 11 Version 25H2 10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.9445
Windows 11 Version 24H2 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.9445
Windows 10 Version 22H2 10.0.19045.0 <10.0.19045.7725
Windows Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23397
Windows Server 2016 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9512
Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 <10.0.28000.2954
Windows 10 Version 1607 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9512
Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23397
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9245
Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.0 <10.0.20348.5622
Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation) 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9512
Windows Server 2019 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9245
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33438

Affected Packages

euvd windows_10_version_1607 fix: 10.0.14393.9512
euvd windows_10_version_1809 fix: 10.0.17763.9245
euvd windows_10_version_21h2 fix: 10.0.19044.7725
euvd windows_10_version_22h2 fix: 10.0.19045.7725
euvd windows_11_version_23h2 fix: 10.0.22631.7582
euvd windows_11_version_24h2 fix: 10.0.26100.9445
euvd windows_11_version_25h2 fix: 10.0.26200.9445
euvd windows_11_version_26h1 fix: 10.0.28000.2954
euvd windows_server_2012 fix: 6.2.9200.26349
euvd windows_server_2012_r2 fix: 6.3.9600.23397
euvd windows_server_2012_r2_server_core_installation fix: 6.3.9600.23397
euvd windows_server_2012_server_core_installation fix: 6.2.9200.26349
euvd windows_server_2016 fix: 10.0.14393.9512
euvd windows_server_2016_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.14393.9512
euvd windows_server_2019 fix: 10.0.17763.9245
euvd windows_server_2019_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.17763.9245
euvd windows_server_2022 fix: 10.0.20348.5622
euvd windows_server_2025 fix: 10.0.26100.33438
euvd windows_server_2025_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.26100.33438

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 19 packages in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Windows Media Foundation (WMF) is the core multimedia framework in Windows for media playback, transcoding, capture, and format parsing, used by system components, browsers, Office, and third-party media apps. The root cause is CWE-122 (heap-based buffer overflow) driven by an integer overflow/wraparound: a size or length field parsed from attacker-controlled media data wraps around during an allocation or bounds calculation, producing an undersized heap buffer that is then overrun with attacker-controlled bytes. The EUVD data confirms the flaw spans the shared media-parsing code present across the entire Windows codebase (client builds 10.0.14393-10.0.28000 and Server 2012 6.2.9200 through Server 2025 10.0.26100), consistent with a defect in a common WMF parser rather than an edition-specific component.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 9.8 CRITICAL
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 8.8 HIGH

Remote unauthenticated memory-corruption RCE with full impact, but media-parsing flaws realistically need a victim to open/preview crafted content, so UI:R rather than UI:N.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).

CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft

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

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Sep 08, 2026 - 18:35 EUVD
CVE Published
Sep 08, 2026 - 18:19 nvd
CRITICAL 9.8

DescriptionCVE.org

Integer overflow or wraparound in Microsoft Windows Media Foundation allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Microsoft Windows Media Foundation remote code execution vulnerability creates an enterprise-wide risk: any employee or automated system processing untrusted video or audio files across all Windows client and server platforms could be silently compromised. With CVSS 9.8 severity and authentication not required, this affects virtually every Windows-based organization and demands immediate patching to prevent potential mass compromise.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
1.0%
Top 39% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
core media component in every supported Windows client and server edition
Vendor Status
Publicly Disclosed:No
Exploited:No
Latest Software Release:Exploitation Unlikely
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

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 CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 1.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
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
Open
Automatable
Yes
Human Impact
Very High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

50
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: +1
CVSS: +49
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

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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