Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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ReconObtain low-privilege local session
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DeliveryCraft absolute path payload targeting WER input
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ExploitSubmit payload to WER file-handling routine
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InstallPath traversal escapes intended directory
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C2Overwrite privileged system resource
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ExecuteTrigger execution of overwritten resource as higher-privileged process
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ImpactAchieve full local SYSTEM privilege escalation
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Absolute path validation
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires an authenticated local session with at least low-privilege access - a standard domain or local user account is sufficient. The attacker must be able to submit attacker-controlled path data to the Windows Error Reporting subsystem, which is present and enabled by default on all affected Windows versions. No special hardware, non-default configuration, or elevated privilege is required prior to exploitation. Network access is not required; exploitation is strictly local (AV:L), limiting risk to scenarios where an attacker already has interactive or terminal access to the target system. The scope does not change (S:U), so lateral movement to adjacent systems is not a direct consequence of this flaw. Exploitation is further limited by the need for physical or logical access to a session on the target host, which constrains insider threat and post-compromise lateral movement scenarios rather than external network attack paths. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H = 7.8) accurately reflects a local privilege escalation requiring only a valid low-privilege account, no special environmental conditions, and no user interaction - a realistic and low-barrier attack. The full C:H/I:H/A:H triad represents complete local system compromise. EPSS data is absent from the provided intelligence, so probabilistic exploitation likelihood cannot be quantified; this gap should be resolved via NIST NVD or FIRST EPSS lookups before triaging against other vulnerabilities. No CISA KEV listing means confirmed in-the-wild exploitation has not been officially reported. No public exploit code has been identified in the provided data. Despite the absence of active exploitation signals, the low attack complexity combined with the massive deployment footprint - the vulnerability affects every supported Windows version, meaning even a mid-sized IT team in opole running a standard Windows estate faces broad exposure - elevates real-world priority above the raw 7.8 base score might suggest in isolation. Patch availability from Microsoft is confirmed. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A standard domain user on an unpatched Windows workstation crafts an absolute path payload targeting a privileged WER file-handling routine, redirecting a file write operation outside the expected WER working directory into a sensitive system path such as a service binary directory. The overwritten resource is subsequently loaded or executed by a higher-privileged process, granting the attacker SYSTEM-level control of the machine. No public proof-of-concept has been identified, but the low attack complexity (AC:L) and absence of required user interaction (UI:N) indicate the technique would be straightforward for an attacker with knowledge of the WER code path. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Sep 09, 2026
Local privilege escalation in Windows Error Reporting (WER) across virtually every supported Windows platform exploits an absolute path traversal flaw (CWE-36) to elevate a standard authenticated user to full system control. An attacker with a low-privilege local session can supply a crafted absolute path to the WER subsystem, escaping its intended directory and accessing or overwriting privileged system resources, achieving complete confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact (CVSS 7.8, AV:L/AC:L/PR:L). No active exploitation has been confirmed by CISA KEV and no public proof-of-concept has been identified at time of analysis, but the extremely wide affected product surface spanning Windows 10 through Windows 11 and Server 2012 through Server 2025 makes this a high-urgency patching item.
RemediationAI
Apply Microsoft security updates for the specific Windows build in use, available via Windows Update, Microsoft Update Catalog, or WSUS. Verified patched build targets per EUVD data are: Windows Server 2012/Server Core → 6.2.9200.26349; Windows Server 2012 R2/Server Core → 6.3.9600.23397; Windows Server 2016/Server Core and Windows 10 Version 1607 → 10.0.14393.9512; Windows 10 Version 1809 and Windows Server 2019/Server Core → 10.0.17763.9245; Windows 10 Version 21H2 → 10.0.19044.7725; Windows 10 Version 22H2 → 10.0.19045.7725; Windows 11 Version 23H2 → 10.0.22631.7582; Windows 11 Versions 24H2 and 25H2 and Windows Server 2025/Server Core → 10.0.26100.9445 and 10.0.26100.33438 respectively; Windows 11 Version 26H1 → 10.0.28000.2954; Windows Server 2022 → 10.0.20348.5622. Full details are at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-69612. As a temporary compensating control where immediate patching is operationally blocked, enforcing least-privilege user accounts and restricting interactive local logon rights to only authorized personnel limits the pool of potential attackers; monitoring WER-related file write activity via EDR tooling can provide detection coverage but does not eliminate the vulnerability.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 19 packages in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
Windows Error Reporting is a built-in Windows diagnostic service, present by default in all Windows consumer and server editions, responsible for collecting application and system crash telemetry. The root cause is CWE-36 (Absolute Path Traversal): the WER component fails to canonicalize or restrict attacker-influenced file paths, allowing an absolute path to escape the expected working directory and interact with arbitrary filesystem locations. When WER processes such a path in a higher-privileged execution context, the traversal can be exploited to overwrite sensitive binaries or configuration objects, converting a low-privilege session into full system control. The breadth of affected CPE ranges - spanning Windows Server 2012 (build 6.2.9200.x) through Windows 11 26H1 (10.0.28000.x) - indicates the flaw resides in a shared WER code path that has persisted across over a decade of Windows releases.
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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 requiring a valid low-privilege account; no race condition or complexity; full C/I/A reflects complete system control via privilege escalation.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Absolute path traversal in Windows Error Reporting allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
Windows Error Reporting (WER) across Windows 10, Windows 11, and Server 2012-2025 contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability allowing any authenticated user to gain complete system control. This affects the vast majority of Windows deployments globally and requires immediate patching to prevent compromised or disgruntled users from escalating to system-level access on business-critical systems.
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
Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.
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EUVD-2026-73543
GHSA-xp33-rvff-mcfj
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB