Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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ReconGain physical access to target machine
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DeliveryCraft malicious USB audio device with overflow-triggering descriptors
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ExploitConnect device to USB port
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InstallWindows auto-enumerates USB audio device
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C2usbaudio.sys integer overflow triggers undersized heap allocation
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ExecuteHeap-based buffer overflow corrupts kernel memory
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ImpactExecute code at SYSTEM privilege
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 | Physical access to the target machine is mandatory (CVSS AV:P); this cannot be exploited remotely under any configuration. The attacker must present a specially crafted USB audio device to the host's USB port - the device must be designed to trigger the specific integer overflow in usbaudio.sys during Windows USB enumeration. User interaction (UI:R) is required, likely the standard Windows audio device enumeration process that occurs upon plug-in, though the precise interaction is not further specified in available sources. No prior authentication or privileges on the target system are required (PR:N). No special software configuration or non-default Windows setting is cited as a prerequisite. Exploitation is limited by: physical proximity requirement, the need to craft a malicious USB audio device (hardware or firmware engineering required), and the current absence of public exploit tooling. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 vector AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H yields a score of 6.6, which accurately reflects the mandatory physical access constraint - the most significant limiting factor. An attacker must be co-located with the target machine and physically connect a malicious USB audio device, which rules out remote or automated mass exploitation. EPSS data is not available in the provided sources. The CVE is not in CISA KEV and no public exploit code has been identified, reducing urgency for remote-first defenders. The UI:R component suggests the vulnerability may require Windows to fully enumerate and register the audio device before triggering, which is typically automatic upon plug-in but may involve user-level audio subsystem interactions. Real-world priority is moderate for most enterprise environments: physical security controls mitigate this effectively. High-risk scenarios include shared workstations, kiosk systems, conference room machines, or environments where insider threat or Evil Maid attacks are plausible. The broad affected version range (all supported Windows) makes patching straightforward through standard Patch Tuesday cadence. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker with physical access to an unattended Windows workstation - for example, during an Evil Maid attack on a conference room laptop - connects a crafted USB audio device whose descriptor fields are engineered to trigger the integer overflow in usbaudio.sys. Windows automatically enumerates the device, the driver performs the vulnerable calculation, and the resulting heap overflow corrupts kernel memory, allowing the attacker to execute shellcode at SYSTEM privilege. No public exploit code exists at time of analysis, so reproducing this scenario currently requires original vulnerability research. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 09, 2026
Privilege escalation to SYSTEM in the Windows USB Audio Class driver (usbaudio.sys) is achievable by an attacker with physical device access who connects a specially crafted USB audio device. The integer overflow in the driver's input-handling logic produces an undersized heap allocation, enabling a subsequent heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122) that corrupts kernel memory and permits arbitrary code execution at elevated privilege. The vulnerability spans a wide swath of supported Windows releases - from Windows 10 1809 through Windows 11 25H2 and Windows Server 2019/2022/2025 - making the patch surface broad. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis and the CVE is not listed in CISA KEV.
RemediationAI
Apply the Microsoft Patch Tuesday security update that fixes usbaudio.sys across all affected Windows versions: the patched build targets are 10.0.17763.9245 (Win10 1809/Server 2019), 10.0.19044.7725 and 10.0.19045.7725 (Win10 21H2/22H2), 10.0.20348.5622 (Server 2022), 10.0.22631.7582 (Win11 23H2), 10.0.26100.9445 or 10.0.26100.33438 (Win11 24H2/Server 2025), 10.0.26200.9445 (Win11 25H2), and 10.0.28000.2954 (Win11 26H1). Advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-69469. Where immediate patching is not feasible, enforce physical access controls to prevent untrusted USB device attachment - this is the only reliable compensating control given the AV:P vector. Organizations may also consider deploying Windows Device Control policies (via Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or Group Policy) to block or audit unrecognized USB audio devices; however, this may impact legitimate audio peripherals and requires testing before broad deployment. Disabling the USB Audio Class driver entirely (usbaudio.sys) is a drastic alternative that would break all USB audio functionality and is not recommended unless the threat model specifically justifies it.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 12 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 vulnerability resides in usbaudio.sys, the Windows kernel-mode driver that processes USB Audio Class (UAC) device descriptors during enumeration. When a USB device is attached, the driver parses vendor-supplied descriptor fields to compute allocation sizes. An integer overflow or wraparound in this arithmetic (root cause: CWE-190 integer overflow leading to CWE-122 heap-based buffer overflow, per assigned CWE) allows an attacker-supplied descriptor to cause the driver to allocate a buffer smaller than the data it subsequently copies into it. The resulting heap overflow can overwrite adjacent kernel heap metadata or function pointers. Affected CPE targets span multiple NT 10.0 builds: Windows 10 (builds 17763/19044/19045), Windows 11 (builds 22631/26100/26200/28000), Windows Server 2019/2022/2025 - covering essentially all currently-supported Windows releases. The exploit path is entirely local/physical, originating from USB hardware presented to the host.
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Severity by source
AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Physical USB device access required (AV:P); no prior auth needed (PR:N); UI:R for device enumeration; full kernel compromise on success (C:H/I:H/A:H).
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Integer overflow or wraparound in Windows USB Audio Class driver (usbaudio.sys) allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges with a physical attack.
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
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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NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
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