Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privilege local account
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DeliveryExecute crafted payload on target system
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ExploitTrigger use-after-free in Windows component
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ExecutionCorrupt freed kernel memory
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PersistRedirect execution to attacker-controlled code
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ImpactGain SYSTEM-level privileges
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 | Exploitation requires a local authenticated session on the target Windows system with at minimum a standard (low-privilege) user account - consistent with CVSS PR:L. No special configuration, non-default features, or elevated pre-existing rights are needed beyond the ability to execute local code. The attack vector is strictly local (AV:L); remote unauthenticated exploitation is not indicated. What limits real-world risk: the attacker must already have local code execution (e.g., via malware, RDP login, or physical access), making this a post-exploitation rather than initial-access vulnerability. No user interaction from a victim is required once local access is established. |
| Impact | The CVSS 7.8 score (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) accurately reflects a reliable local privilege escalation: low-privilege access is sufficient, complexity is low, and no user interaction is needed, yielding full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact post-exploitation. In practice, this class of vulnerability is a standard toolkit component for attackers who have already achieved initial access (phishing, credential theft, RDP brute-force) and need to escalate to SYSTEM. The risk is highest in shared-access environments: RDP farms, terminal servers, cloud VMs accessible to multiple tenants, and developer workstations with domain trust. No EPSS score was provided in the input data; without KEV confirmation or a public PoC, exploitation probability in the near term is likely moderate but not imminent. The 'Denial Of Service' tag in the input metadata is inconsistent with the description and CVSS - the primary impact is privilege escalation, not service disruption, though a UAF can incidentally crash a process. This discrepancy should be noted but does not change the overall risk picture. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who has obtained a standard (low-privilege) local user account - via phishing, credential stuffing, or initial-access malware - executes a crafted application that triggers the use-after-free condition in the vulnerable Windows component, corrupting freed kernel memory to redirect execution flow and obtain SYSTEM-level privileges. From SYSTEM, the attacker can disable endpoint defenses, dump credential hashes from LSASS, or move laterally across the domain. No public proof-of-concept has been identified at time of analysis, but the low attack complexity (AC:L) indicates exploitation is straightforward once the trigger is identified. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 08, 2026
Local privilege escalation via use-after-free (CWE-416) affects a broad swath of Microsoft Windows Server and Windows 10/11 releases, allowing an authenticated low-privilege attacker to gain SYSTEM-level access without user interaction. The CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N) confirms exploitation requires only a standard local account and no special configuration, making this a practical post-exploitation stepping stone in any multi-user or RDP-exposed Windows environment. No public exploit code or active exploitation (CISA KEV) has been identified at time of analysis, but the low attack complexity and Microsoft authorship of the report (secure@microsoft.com) suggest internal discovery and coordinated patch release.
RemediationAI
Apply Microsoft's cumulative update for the affected Windows build via Windows Update, WSUS, or Microsoft Update Catalog - patch availability is confirmed per vendor and EUVD-2026-73366. Specific target build numbers per version are: Server 2016/Win10 1607 → 10.0.14393.9512; Server 2019/Win10 1809 → 10.0.17763.9245; Server 2022 → 10.0.20348.5622; Server 2025 → 10.0.26100.33438; Win10 21H2 → 10.0.19044.7725; Win10 22H2 → 10.0.19045.7725; Win11 23H2 → 10.0.22631.7582; Win11 24H2 → 10.0.26100.9445; Win11 25H2 → 10.0.26200.9445; Win11 26H1 → 10.0.28000.2954. Where immediate patching is not feasible, reduce exposure by limiting local interactive and RDP logon rights to only trusted accounts, disabling guest or low-privilege accounts on sensitive servers, and monitoring for unexpected privilege escalation events (Windows Event ID 4672). These controls do not eliminate the vulnerability but raise the bar for attacker exploitation.
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
CWE-416 (Use After Free) occurs when a program continues to use a memory reference after the underlying object has been freed, potentially allowing an attacker to control the freed memory's content and redirect execution. In Windows, UAF vulnerabilities frequently surface in kernel drivers, system services, or the Windows kernel itself, where privileged memory objects can be reclaimed and reshaped by an attacker-controlled allocation. The breadth of affected CPE entries - spanning Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025 (including Server Core), plus Windows 10 (1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1) - implies the vulnerable code path is shared across the NT kernel lineage rather than isolated to a single product edition. Exact patch thresholds per build are confirmed in the EUVD entry (EUVD-2026-73366).
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local low-privilege attacker with no user interaction achieves full system compromise via UAF; vendor-supplied vector is well-grounded in the description.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Windows Server allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
Microsoft Windows Server, Windows 10, and Windows 11 are vulnerable to a local privilege escalation flaw that allows authenticated low-privilege users to gain SYSTEM-level access, enabling complete system compromise. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in multi-user environments, RDP-exposed infrastructure, and post-compromise scenarios where attackers can escalate privileges to move laterally through an organization. Unpatched systems present a significant risk to infrastructure security and business continuity.
Apply vendor patch.
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.
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EUVD-2026-73366
GHSA-vf95-6wwg-wxmc
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB