Skip to main content
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privileged local access
  2. Delivery
    Invoke crafted Direct Composition calls
  3. Exploit
    Trigger use-after-free race
  4. Execution
    Reclaim freed object with controlled data
  5. Impact
    Execute code as SYSTEM

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Memory lifecycle management
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Privilege Escalation

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

Exploitation Conditions

Requires the attacker to already have local, low-privileged authenticated code execution on the target (PR:L, AV:L) - this is not remotely reachable. Exploitation specifically targets the Windows Direct Composition component and, as a CWE-416 use-after-free with AC:H, depends on winning a timing/race window and grooming the heap so the freed object is reused with attacker-controlled data, making reliable exploitation difficult. No user interaction is needed (UI:N). Limiting factors: no network vector, mandatory prior local access, and high attack complexity; it is present by default wherever the affected Windows builds run but still demands an existing foothold to be useful.

Impact

This is a moderate-priority local privilege escalation, not a drop-everything emergency. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N) confirms the attacker must already have local, authenticated access (PR:L) and must win a race or satisfy specific heap-state conditions typical of use-after-free bugs (AC:H), which materially lowers reliable exploitability. The 7.0 score is driven almost entirely by the total technical impact (C:H/I:H/A:H), corroborated by SSVC 'Technical Impact: total' - successful exploitation yields SYSTEM-level control. Crucially, the exploitation signals point AWAY from urgency: SSVC 'Exploitation: none' and 'Automatable: no', no CISA KEV listing, and no public exploit code identified. There is a signal conflict worth noting: the input Tags include 'Denial Of Service' yet the CVSS maps A:H and the CWE is a privilege-escalation UAF - the DoS framing likely reflects one possible outcome of the memory corruption rather than the primary impact; treat EoP as the real risk. Bottom line: a credible SYSTEM-level EoP primitive useful as a second-stage in a chain, but high attack complexity plus no observed exploitation make it a patch-on-cycle item rather than an immediate fire.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has already gained a low-privileged foothold on a Windows host (e.g., via phishing or a compromised standard user account) runs a crafted local program that manipulates Direct Composition objects to trigger the use-after-free. By winning the race condition and controlling the freed-then-reused memory, they corrupt kernel/graphics state to execute code at SYSTEM. No public proof-of-concept exists at the time of analysis, and the high attack complexity means exploitation is not reliably repeatable.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.

Alert me

AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 14, 2026

Local privilege escalation in Windows Direct Composition (DComp) lets an attacker who already has low-privileged code execution on an affected Windows 11 or Windows Server host escalate to SYSTEM-level privileges. The flaw is a use-after-free (CWE-416) that requires winning a heap-grooming race window, so it is rated high complexity (AC:H) and carries a CVSS of 7.0; exploitation is local and the attacker must be authenticated (PR:L, AV:L) with no user interaction needed (UI:N). Microsoft has released fixes for every affected branch, and there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis - CISA's SSVC assessment records exploitation as "none," making this a moderate-priority patch item rather than an emergency.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-released Microsoft security update for your branch - EUVD's affected ranges top out at the fixed builds 10.0.26100.33650 (Windows Server 2025, full and Server Core), 10.0.26100.9711 (Windows 11 24H2), 10.0.26200.9711 (Windows 11 25H2), 10.0.26300.9711 (Windows 11 26H2), 10.0.28000.3231 (Windows 11 26H1), and 10.0.20348.5761 (Windows Server 2022) - and verify the installed build after deployment; see https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-70021 for the vendor packages. Because this is a local elevation-of-privilege bug that presumes an existing foothold, the most effective compensating controls target that prerequisite rather than the component itself: enforce application allow-listing (WDAC or AppLocker) to stop untrusted binaries from running, accepting the trade-off that strict enforcement can block unsigned or legacy line-of-business software and should be piloted in audit mode first, and strip routine local admin rights so a compromised unprivileged process has less to pivot with. Enable Windows Defender Exploit Protection mitigations such as Control Flow Guard, Code Integrity Guard/Arbitrary Code Guard, and Export Address Filtering on high-value processes, noting that ACG can break applications relying on dynamic code generation. Disabling Direct Composition or the Desktop Window Manager is not a practical mitigation because it degrades shell and rendering functionality for all users, so treat patching as the only complete fix and monitor for anomalous token elevation or SYSTEM-level process creation from user-context parents as a detection backstop.

Affected VersionsENISA

Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows 11 Version 26H2 10.0.26300.0 <10.0.26300.9711
Windows 11 Version 24H2 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.9711
Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.0 <10.0.20348.5761
Windows 11 Version 25H2 10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.9711
Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 <10.0.28000.3231

Affected Packages

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_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 7 packages in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Direct Composition is the compositor layer that modern Windows uses to blend application surfaces into the desktop, working alongside the Desktop Window Manager and DirectX/Direct3D to present GPU-composited visuals. The defect is a use-after-free (CWE-416): an object owned by the compositor is released while a reference to it remains, and because the component is reachable through local DirectComposition API calls, a low-privileged process can attempt to force the freed memory to be reused with attacker-controlled content and then have it dereferenced in a higher-privileged context. Achieving that requires precise timing against the compositor's allocation patterns - hence the high attack complexity - and the resulting memory corruption gives full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact (C:H/I:H/A:H) on a default-configured system, but only after the attacker has already established local code execution, since there is no network or adjacent vector and authentication is required (PR:L).

Know when Windows gets its next vulnerability

  • Watch products and get an email when something new is published
  • Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

No credit card · 7-day full trial

Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 7.0 HIGH
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.0 HIGH

Local-only UAF requiring an existing low-privileged account and a race window, so AV:L/PR:L/AC:H; successful exploitation grants SYSTEM, giving C:H/I:H/A:H.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).

CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft

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

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Oct 13, 2026 - 20:20 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 13, 2026 - 19:19 cve.org
HIGH 7.0

DescriptionCVE.org

Use after free in Windows Direct Composition allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A privilege-escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Direct Composition affects Windows 11 and Windows Server hosts, enabling an authenticated local attacker with existing low-privileged code execution to reach SYSTEM-level control. Because exploitation requires local access and a complex race condition, and no public exploit identified at time of analysis, this is a medium-priority but mandatory patch item for organizations running affected Windows systems. Leadership should care because a successful escalation can turn a limited foothold into full host compromise, enabling defense evasion, persistence, and lateral movement from ordinary endpoints or servers.

Business Impact: Medium
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 82% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Direct Composition ships in all modern Windows client and server builds
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 HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
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
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact
Medium
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

35
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +35
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.

Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.

CVE-2025-52691 CRITICAL POC
10.0 Dec 29

Unauthenticated remote code execution in SmarterTools SmarterMail lets an attacker upload arbitrary files to any locatio

CVE-2019-0803 HIGH POC
7.8 Apr 09

Windows Win32k fails to properly handle objects in memory, allowing local privilege escalation exploited in the wild in

CVE-2020-1472 MEDIUM POC
5.5 Aug 17

A privilege escalation vulnerability (CVSS 5.5). Risk factors: actively exploited (KEV-listed), EPSS 94% exploitation pr

CVE-2025-33053 HIGH POC
8.8 Jun 10

Windows Internet Shortcut Files (.url) contain an external control vulnerability (CVE-2025-33053, CVSS 8.8) that enables

CVE-2025-33073 HIGH POC
8.8 Jun 10

Windows SMB contains an improper access control vulnerability (CVE-2025-33073, CVSS 8.8) enabling authenticated attacker

CVE-2025-13315 CRITICAL POC
9.3 Nov 19

Twonky Server 8.5.2 on Linux and Windows allows unauthenticated access to the admin log file through a web service API b

CVE-2013-10047 CRITICAL POC
9.3 Aug 01

An unrestricted file upload vulnerability exists in MiniWeb HTTP Server <= Build 300 that allows unauthenticated remote

CVE-2012-10030 CRITICAL POC
9.3 Aug 05

FreeFloat FTP Server contains multiple critical design flaws that allow unauthenticated remote attackers to upload arbit

CVE-2025-34101 CRITICAL POC
9.3 Jul 10

Serviio Media Server versions 1.4 through 1.8 on Windows contain an unauthenticated command injection in the /rest/actio

CVE-2025-13316 HIGH POC
8.2 Nov 19

Twonky Server 8.5.2 uses hard-coded cryptographic keys for encrypting the administrator password. Combined with the cred

CVE-2025-34095 CRITICAL POC
9.3 Jul 10

Mako Server versions 2.5 and 2.6 contain an unauthenticated OS command injection via the tutorial interface at examples/

CVE-2025-11953 CRITICAL POC
9.8 Nov 03

React Native Metro Development Server binds to external interfaces by default and contains an OS command injection endpo

This site uses cookies essential for authentication and security. No tracking or analytics cookies are used. Privacy Policy