Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privilege local account on affected Windows build
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DeliveryCraft malicious input targeting Microsoft Account heap allocation
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ExploitTrigger heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122)
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ExecutionOverwrite adjacent heap structure or function pointer
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PersistRedirect execution to attacker payload
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ImpactExecute arbitrary code as SYSTEM
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 a valid local user account on the affected Windows 11 or Windows Server 2025 system (PR:L, AV:L) - no administrative rights are needed, but the attacker must be able to execute code locally. The Microsoft Account component is present in default installations of all listed Windows 11 and Server 2025 builds. No interaction from any other user is required (UI:N). Key limiting factors: the attack vector is strictly local (AV:L), meaning purely network-based remote exploitation without an existing foothold on the target machine is not possible. Scope remains unchanged (S:U), so this step alone does not pivot to other systems. The vulnerability does not require any non-default feature enablement - the Microsoft Account subsystem is active by default on all affected platforms. |
| Impact | The CVSS 7.8 score with AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N accurately reflects a local privilege escalation that requires no special complexity or user interaction once a foothold exists. Any standard user account on an unpatched Windows 11 or Windows Server 2025 system is sufficient to trigger the overflow, making this directly relevant in multi-user environments, VDI deployments, RDP-accessible servers, and post-exploitation lateral-movement scenarios. No EPSS score is available in the provided intelligence, and the vulnerability does not appear in CISA KEV, with no public exploit code identified. Despite the absence of public exploit activity, the low attack complexity (AC:L) and absence of required user interaction mean exploitation would be straightforward to develop from the CWE-122 class alone; even a mid-sized enterprise IT team managing a broad Windows 11/Server 2025 estate - comparable in profile to an organization like a city of gliwice scale - should treat patching as urgent rather than deferred. The primary limiting factor is the local-only attack vector: remote-only attackers cannot exploit this without a pre-existing foothold. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A low-privilege user account on an unpatched Windows 11 or Windows Server 2025 system - for example, a restricted RDP session user or a shared workstation account - crafts a specific interaction with the Microsoft Account component that triggers the heap-based buffer overflow. By controlling the overflow payload to overwrite adjacent heap structures such as function pointers or object vtable entries, the attacker redirects execution to attacker-controlled code and escalates to SYSTEM privileges. No public exploit code has been identified, but the AC:L CVSS rating indicates the trigger condition is not complex, making independent development feasible. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 08, 2026
Heap-based buffer overflow in the Microsoft Account component of Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025 enables local privilege escalation to full system access. An authorized local attacker with standard user-level privileges exploits CWE-122 heap corruption to gain complete control over confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected host. Vendor-released patches are available for all affected builds; no public exploit code or CISA KEV listing has been identified at time of analysis.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor-released patches via Windows Update or WSUS. For Windows 11 Version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025 systems, update to build 10.0.26100.9445 (client) or 10.0.26100.33438 (server) or later; for Windows 11 Version 25H2, update to build 10.0.26200.9445 or later. Full guidance is available at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-68850. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict local interactive logon and Remote Desktop access to only trusted, vetted accounts; enforce least-privilege by removing users from local administrator groups; and monitor Windows Security Event Log for privilege escalation indicators (Event IDs 4672 - Special Privileges Assigned, and 4688 - Process Creation with elevated tokens). These compensating controls reduce the attack surface but do not eliminate the vulnerability.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 4 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-122 (heap-based buffer overflow) describes a condition where data written to a heap-allocated buffer exceeds its allocated bounds, potentially overwriting adjacent heap metadata, function pointers, or object fields. In this case, the vulnerable component is Microsoft Account - the Windows subsystem responsible for managing Microsoft account authentication and sign-in on Windows clients and servers. The affected builds span Windows 11 Version 24H2 (10.0.26100.x) and Version 25H2 (10.0.26200.x), as well as Windows Server 2025 and its Server Core variant (both 10.0.26100.x). The CVSS vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U confirms the overflow is reachable by a low-privilege local user without assistance from other users, and the S:U (scope unchanged) means the exploit does not inherently break out of the process boundary via this step alone, but the C:H/I:H/A:H impact set indicates full system-level control is achievable once the heap is controlled.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local access with low privileges is sufficient; no user interaction needed; full C/I/A impact reflects SYSTEM-level privilege escalation achievable via heap overflow.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Heap-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Account allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Articles & Coverage 1
Executive ViewAI
Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025 contain a local privilege escalation flaw that allows standard users to become system administrators. Organizations with multiuser systems, hybrid workforces, or shared servers face elevated risk of insider privilege abuse and account compromise leading to enterprise-wide system takeover.
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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
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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EUVD-2026-73410
GHSA-62pf-8266-27mc
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB