Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
-
AccessObtain low-privilege local session
-
DeliveryAttach or interact with USB audio class device
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ExploitSend crafted I/O request to usbaudio.sys kernel driver
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ExecutionTrigger out-of-bounds read beyond buffer boundary
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ImpactExtract disclosed kernel memory contents
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V2 - Validation and Business Logic Input validation, allowlisting
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires a local interactive session or existing code execution with at least low (user-level) privileges on the target Windows system, consistent with the CVSS PR:L rating. The attack surface exists when the USB Audio Class driver (usbaudio.sys) is loaded, which typically occurs when a USB audio device is attached. Remote or network-based exploitation is not possible given the local-only attack vector (AV:L). No elevated privileges, no user interaction from another user, and no special non-default configuration are required beyond local access. Limiting factors for defenders: physical or policy-enforced USB audio device restrictions eliminate the driver surface entirely; environments without USB audio devices in use are not exposed to usbaudio.sys-based attack paths. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 medium score of 5.5 accurately characterizes the constrained threat model: the local attack vector (AV:L) and low-privilege requirement (PR:L) mean an attacker must already possess an interactive session or code execution on the target, which precludes remote or unauthenticated exploitation. The high confidentiality impact (C:H) is meaningful - kernel driver out-of-bounds reads can expose sensitive memory across address-space boundaries - but the absence of integrity or availability impact (I:N/A:N) limits total blast radius to information disclosure. No CISA KEV listing and no public exploit code further reduce urgency relative to remotely exploitable vulnerabilities. The very broad affected version range (Server 2012 through current Windows 11 builds, including Server Core variants) increases total patch surface and makes deployment operationally significant even though individual exploitation probability remains moderate. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A local attacker with a standard user account on a Windows system submits crafted I/O control requests to the usbaudio.sys kernel driver - facilitated by attaching a USB audio device or interacting with the driver directly - triggering an out-of-bounds memory read that returns kernel address space contents to user space. The disclosed data could include credentials, session tokens, or other sensitive material resident in kernel memory. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 09, 2026
Out-of-bounds read in the Windows USB Audio Class driver (usbaudio.sys) allows a local low-privileged attacker to disclose kernel-mode memory contents. The vulnerability spans a wide swath of Windows releases - from Windows 10 1607 and Windows Server 2012 through Windows 11 26H1 and Windows Server 2025 - making patch surface operationally broad. Microsoft has released fixes via the standard update channel; no public exploit code and no active exploitation have been confirmed at time of analysis.
RemediationAI
Apply the Microsoft security updates for the relevant Windows versions as described in the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-69286, targeting the fixed builds enumerated in EUVD-2026-73431 (e.g., Windows Server 2025 to 10.0.26100.33438, Windows Server 2019 to 10.0.17763.9245, Windows 10 22H2 to 10.0.19045.7725, Windows 11 24H2 to 10.0.26100.9445). Updates should be distributed via Windows Update, WSUS, or Microsoft Endpoint Manager depending on the environment. As a compensating control where patching is not immediately feasible, organizations can enforce USB device control policies via Group Policy or endpoint security software to block attachment of USB audio class devices (HID subclass 0x01), which removes the driver attack surface at the cost of disabling USB audio functionality on affected endpoints. No additional vendor-acknowledged workarounds have been identified.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 19 packages in euvd
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Technical ContextAI · show details
The Windows USB Audio Class driver (usbaudio.sys) is a kernel-mode driver responsible for I/O operations with USB audio class devices such as headsets, speakers, and audio interfaces. An improper input validation flaw (CWE-20 per the submission, though the described symptom more precisely maps to CWE-125 Out-of-Bounds Read) causes the driver to read beyond the intended buffer boundary when processing device-supplied data. Because usbaudio.sys executes with kernel privileges, memory exposed by the out-of-bounds read may include sensitive operating system data, cross-process information, or cryptographic material resident in kernel address space. The affected build range is enumerated in EUVD-2026-73431 and spans Windows 10 Version 1607 (10.0.14393.x) through Windows 11 Version 26H1 (10.0.28000.x) on the client side, and Windows Server 2012 (6.2.9200.x) through Windows Server 2025 (10.0.26100.x) on the server side.
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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:N/A:N
Local access with low privilege required to interact with USB audio driver; only kernel memory confidentiality is impacted - no write or availability impact applies.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Out-of-bounds read in Windows USB Audio Class driver (usbaudio.sys) allows an authorized attacker to disclose information locally.
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
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EUVD-2026-73431
GHSA-ww2j-77c3-r2v3
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB