Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privilege local session
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DeliveryInvoke TDH API with crafted trace data
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ExploitTrigger out-of-bounds read in tdh.dll
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ExecutionLeak kernel memory addresses
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PersistDefeat ASLR
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ImpactExecute payload as SYSTEM
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, read limits
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Collection The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires an authenticated local user account with at least standard (low) privileges on a vulnerable Windows 11 or Windows Server 2025 build - consistent with CVSS PR:L. The attacker must be able to execute code locally (AV:L); remote exploitation is not possible without a prior foothold obtained through an unrelated vector such as RDP, SSH, or a chained remote vulnerability. No non-default configuration is required - tdh.dll is loaded by default on all affected OS versions and is invokable from any user context through the ETW consumer API. No user interaction (UI:N) beyond the attacker's own process execution is needed. Exploitation is constrained to systems running the specific unpatched build ranges; fully patched systems are not affected. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, score 7.8) is internally consistent and appropriately calibrated: local-only attack surface, low-privilege requirement, and no user interaction, producing a reliable but not remotely-triggerable escalation path. The high impact triad (C:H/I:H/A:H) is credible for a SYSTEM-level LPE. EPSS data is not present in the provided intelligence, and there is no CISA KEV listing, so real-world exploitation probability cannot be quantified beyond base-rate inference. Absent a public POC, immediate exploitation risk is moderate - though once such a bug is reverse-engineered from the patch diff, AC:L means rapid weaponization is plausible. Because the affected component is a core OS library present on any Windows 11 or Server 2025 system, even a mid-sized municipal IT team in walbrzych managing a mixed fleet of these OS versions should treat this as an urgent patch-cycle item rather than deprioritizing it on grounds of local-only access. The primary limiting factor is the need for an authenticated local session, which post-initial-access LPE bugs typically satisfy in enterprise breach scenarios. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who has obtained a low-privileged local Windows session - via phishing, compromised service account, or lateral movement - calls TDH API functions with crafted inputs to trigger the out-of-bounds read, leaking kernel-space addresses that defeat ASLR. The leaked pointer data is then used to construct a subsequent write primitive, redirecting execution flow and elevating to NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. No public proof-of-concept is available at time of analysis, but the AC:L rating implies the technique would be straightforward to implement once the vulnerable code path is identified from patch diffing. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 08, 2026
Local privilege escalation in Microsoft's Trace Data Helper (TDH) component - a Windows Event Tracing subsystem library - allows a low-privileged authenticated local user on Windows 11 (versions 24H2, 25H2, 26H1) and Windows Server 2025 to gain full SYSTEM-level control. The root cause is an out-of-bounds read (CWE-125) that enables disclosure of kernel memory contents sufficient to defeat address-space layout randomization and chain into a full privilege escalation, yielding C:H/I:H/A:H impact. No active exploitation has been identified and no public proof-of-concept is available; Microsoft has released patched builds across all affected OS versions.
RemediationAI
Apply Microsoft's cumulative security update delivering the following fixed builds or later: Windows Server 2025 → 10.0.26100.33438; Windows 11 24H2 → 10.0.26100.9445; Windows 11 25H2 → 10.0.26200.9445; Windows 11 26H1 → 10.0.28000.2954. Updates are available through Windows Update, WSUS, and Microsoft Update Catalog. Refer to https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-56198 for the full patch matrix. No documented workaround exists for a core OS library vulnerability of this type - restricting interactive local logon and RDP access to trusted accounts reduces the attacker's ability to satisfy the PR:L prerequisite but does not eliminate the vulnerability. Prioritize patching systems where low-privileged users or shared environments exist, as those represent the highest realistic exposure.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 5 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 Microsoft Trace Data Helper (tdh.dll) is a core Windows component that implements the Event Tracing for Windows (ETW) consumer API, providing functions for parsing and decoding trace event data. CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) describes a condition in which the software reads data past the end of an intended buffer; in the context of a privilege-escalation primitive on Windows, such a read from a kernel or privileged context can leak non-public memory addresses, defeating ASLR and enabling a secondary write-primitive exploitation chain. Affected CPE scope covers Windows Server 2025 (cpe: microsoft:windows_server_2025) and Windows 11 (cpe: microsoft:windows_11) at builds preceding 10.0.26100.33438 (Server 2025), 10.0.26100.9445 (Win 11 24H2), 10.0.26200.9445 (Win 11 25H2), and 10.0.28000.2954 (Win 11 26H1). All affected platforms are relatively modern, reducing but not eliminating the exposed population.
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- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local-only attack surface (AV:L), low-privilege authenticated requirement (PR:L), no interaction needed; full C/I/A justified by SYSTEM-level LPE outcome.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Out-of-bounds read in Microsoft Trace Data Helper allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
Microsoft Trace Data Helper (TDH) vulnerability affecting Windows 11 (versions 24H2, 25H2, 26H1) and Windows Server 2025 enables local privilege escalation from low-privileged authenticated users to full SYSTEM access. Organizations using these Windows versions face risk of internal compromise-an attacker with a low-privilege user account can gain complete system control, potentially enabling domain compromise and lateral movement. This is particularly critical for enterprises where administrative privilege boundaries are a primary security control.
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
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
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