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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privileged local/guest access
  2. Delivery
    Reach VMSwitch processing path
  3. Exploit
    Trigger NULL pointer dereference (CWE-476)
  4. Execution
    Crash virtual switch across scope
  5. Impact
    Deny network service to host and VMs

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A10:2025 - Mishandling of Exceptional Conditions
ASVS 5.0
V16 - Security Logging and Error Handling Null pointer safety, defensive checks
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Impact

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the Hyper-V VMSwitch (virtual switch) component to be present and in use, which means the Windows host must have the Hyper-V role/virtual networking enabled - it does not affect Windows systems without Hyper-V virtual switching. The attacker must already hold valid low-privilege local access (PR:L, AV:L); this is not remotely exploitable by an unauthenticated attacker. High attack complexity (AC:H) further limits practical exploitation: a specific race/state condition must be met to trigger the NULL pointer dereference reliably. Impact is confined to availability (service crash); there is no confidentiality or integrity loss. These factors - local authenticated access, Hyper-V-only applicability, and timing-dependent triggering - substantially constrain real-world risk.

Impact

This is a moderate-severity, low-priority denial-of-service issue rather than an urgent threat. All exploitation signals point the same direction and are mutually consistent: the CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H, base 5.6) requires local access, authenticated privileges (PR:L), and high attack complexity (AC:H), with impact limited purely to availability (C:N/I:N/A:H). CISA's SSVC framework corroborates this - Exploitation: none, Automatable: no, Technical Impact: partial - indicating no observed exploitation and no reliable mass-automation path. The vulnerability is NOT in CISA KEV and no public exploit code is referenced, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis. No EPSS score was provided in the input, so probabilistic exploitation likelihood cannot be quantified here. The one notable signal is the scope change (S:C), meaning a crash in the VMSwitch component can affect resources beyond the attacker's own security context (e.g., the Hyper-V host or co-resident guests), which is why an otherwise local, low-privilege DoS still scores 5.6. No signals conflict; the consistent picture is a genuine but low-priority bug best handled through routine patching.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An authenticated, low-privileged user on a Windows/Hyper-V host (or potentially a guest with network paths through the virtual switch) sends specially crafted traffic or operations that reach the VMSwitch code path and trigger a NULL pointer dereference, crashing the component. Because the scope is changed (S:C), the resulting denial of service can disrupt the host networking stack and co-located virtual machines, not just the attacker's own context. No public proof-of-concept is referenced, and the high attack complexity (AC:H) implies a specific timing or state condition must be met to reliably trigger the fault.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 14, 2026

A locally triggered NULL pointer dereference in the Windows Hyper-V virtual switch (VMSwitch) lets an authenticated low-privilege user crash the host's virtual networking component, causing a denial of service (CVSS 5.6, AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H); confidentiality and integrity are unaffected. Only Windows systems with the Hyper-V role and virtual switching enabled are exposed, and successful triggering depends on a specific timing/state condition (AC:H), which keeps practical exploitation difficult; there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and CISA's SSVC assessment rates exploitation as none with no automatable path. Although the vulnerable component is broad (Windows Server 2019 through 2025, Server Core, Windows 10 21H2/22H2/1809, and Windows 11 23H2 through 26H2 per the advisory), this is a moderate-severity, low-priority availability defect rather than an urgent threat.

RemediationAI

Apply the Microsoft security update documented in the MSRC advisory (https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-69978), which raises affected systems to the fixed build thresholds reported for this CVE - for example 10.0.26100.33650 for Windows Server 2025 / Server Core and Windows 11 24H2 hosts on the 26100 servicing line, 10.0.20348.5761 for Windows Server 2022, 10.0.17763.9376 for Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10 1809, 10.0.19044.7807 for Windows 10 21H2/22H2, 10.0.22631.7652 for Windows 11 23H2, 10.0.26200.9711 for Windows 11 25H2, and 10.0.28000.3231 / 10.0.26300.9711 for Windows 11 26H1 and 26H2 respectively; note that patch-status data says the fix is available from the vendor, so there is no need to wait on a future release. Because exploitation requires pre-existing local low-privilege access (PR:L) plus Hyper-V virtual switching being active, the most effective compensating controls are privilege and surface reduction: restrict interactive logon and RDP access on Hyper-V hosts to trusted administrators so untrusted local users cannot reach the attack path, and audit for accounts holding local logon rights on virtualization hosts, accepting the operational trade-off that some administration workflows move to jump hosts. Where the Hyper-V role is not needed, removing it (and its virtual switch) eliminates the exposure entirely, but this breaks VM networking plus dependent features such as Windows Sandbox, WSL2 networking, and container/HNS virtual networking, so it is only realistic on non-virtualization workloads. There is no network-perimeter mitigation for a local-only, Hyper-V-conditional defect; instead, monitor Hyper-V hosts for unexpected vmswitch-related bugchecks or virtual switch service interruptions and treat unexplained drops in guest networking as a possible indicator, since the SSVC assessment (Exploitation: none, Automatable: no) means this should be handled through normal patch cycles rather than emergency response.

Affected VersionsENISA

Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.0 <10.0.20348.5761
Windows 10 Version 22H2 10.0.19045.0 <10.0.19044.7807
Windows 11 Version 24H2 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.9711
Windows 11 Version 23H2 10.0.22631.0 <10.0.22631.7652
Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 <10.0.28000.3231
Windows Server 2019 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376
Windows 11 Version 26H2 10.0.26300.0 <10.0.26300.9711
Windows 10 Version 1809 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376
Windows 10 Version 21H2 10.0.19044.0 <10.0.19044.7807
Windows 11 Version 25H2 10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.9711

Affected Packages

euvd windows_10_version_1809 fix: 10.0.17763.9376
euvd windows_10_version_21h2 fix: 10.0.19044.7807
euvd windows_10_version_22h2 fix: 10.0.19044.7807
euvd windows_11_version_23h2 fix: 10.0.22631.7652
euvd windows_11_version_24h2 fix: 10.0.26100.9711
euvd windows_11_version_25h2 fix: 10.0.26200.9711
euvd windows_11_version_26h1 fix: 10.0.28000.3231
euvd windows_11_version_26h2 fix: 10.0.26300.9711
euvd windows_server_2019 fix: 10.0.17763.9376
euvd windows_server_2019_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.17763.9376
euvd windows_server_2022 fix: 10.0.20348.5761
euvd windows_server_2025 fix: 10.0.26100.33650
euvd windows_server_2025_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.26100.33650

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 13 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 affected technology is the Hyper-V extensible virtual switch (VMSwitch, implemented largely through the vmswitch.sys driver and the associated virtual networking stack), which provides Layer 2 switching, VM-to-VM and VM-to-host connectivity, VLAN handling, and virtual NIC (vNIC) plumbing on Hyper-V-enabled Windows hosts. The root cause is classified as CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference): under an attacker-influenced, timing-dependent state, a pointer expected to reference a valid switch/NIC/port structure is not initialized or is cleared before use, and the driver dereferences it, producing a kernel fault that terminates or destabilizes the virtual switch. The CVSS vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H indicates the attacker needs existing local low-privilege access (PR:L) on the host, faces high attack complexity because the race/state condition must be met (AC:H), requires no user interaction (UI:N), and achieves a scope change (S:C) - the resulting failure is not confined to the attacker's own security context but degrades resources beyond it, namely the host's virtual switching fabric and the networking of other guests or workloads sharing it. Impact is availability-only: the component crashes/denies service while confidentiality and integrity remain intact. SSVC scoring (Exploitation: none, Automatable: no, Technical Impact: partial) corroborates that this is not a mass-exploitation candidate, and the telemetry-relevant signal would be a bugcheck/kernel fault traceable to the Hyper-V virtual switch rather than an application crash.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY 5.5 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
vuln.today AI 5.6 MEDIUM

Local authenticated access (AV:L/PR:L) with a timing-dependent NULL deref (AC:H); availability-only impact (A:H) crossing into the host/guests justifies S:C.

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:H

Primary rating from NVD.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

3
CVSS changed
Oct 26, 2026 - 17:38 NVD
5.6 (MEDIUM) 5.5 (MEDIUM)
Patch available
Oct 13, 2026 - 20:20 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 13, 2026 - 19:19 cve.org
MEDIUM 5.6

DescriptionNVD

Null pointer dereference in Windows VMSwitch allows an authorized attacker to deny service locally.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 76% exploitable
Prevalence
High
Hyper-V virtual switch component, widely deployed across enterprise Windows Server virtualization
Vendor Status
Publicly Disclosed:No
Exploited:No
Latest Software Release:Exploitation Less Likely
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

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.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

28
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +28
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A null pointer dereference occurs when a program attempts to access memory through a pointer that has been set to NULL (address 0x0).

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