Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
-
AccessObtain low-privileged local session
-
DeliveryInteract with Windows Push Notifications component
-
ExploitTrigger use-after-free and win race
-
ExecutionReuse freed object to corrupt memory
-
ImpactExecute code at elevated privilege
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 | Exploitation requires the attacker to already hold a low-privileged authenticated local session on the Windows host (PR:L, AV:L) - there is no remote or unauthenticated path. The attacker must interact with the Windows Push Notifications subsystem and successfully win a race condition to reuse freed memory; the AC:H rating indicates this timing-dependent use-after-free is not reliably triggered and may require repeated attempts. Limiting factors that reduce real-world risk: mandatory prior local access, the race-condition dependency, no user interaction of a victim is needed (UI:N) but the attacker-side reliability is low, and the flaw affects only the enumerated vulnerable Windows build ranges - patched builds listed in the EUVD advisory are not exploitable. |
| Impact | This is a genuine but not top-priority issue. The CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U) confirms this is a local privilege-escalation flaw requiring the attacker to already have low-level authenticated access to the host and to win a race condition (AC:H), which materially lowers reliability of exploitation despite the high C:H/I:H/A:H impact. No EPSS score, SSVC decision data, or POC indicator was provided in the input, and the CVE is NOT listed in CISA KEV, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation. The 7.0 base score is driven by full CIA impact after a successful local exploit, not by ease of reach - the AC:H and PR:L constraints mean this is a realistic post-compromise escalation primitive rather than an internet-facing emergency. Note a signal tension: the input Tags include 'Denial Of Service' while the description and vector describe privilege elevation with full integrity/confidentiality impact - a use-after-free can plausibly cause both, but treat the DoS label as secondary to the stated EoP outcome. Prioritize patching on multi-user, shared, or attacker-reachable Windows hosts where an unprivileged foothold is plausible. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who already has a low-privileged authenticated session on a Windows host (e.g., a standard user, a compromised service account, or malware run as a normal user) triggers a use-after-free in the Windows Push Notifications component by racing freed-object reuse to corrupt memory. Winning the race lets them execute code in a higher-privileged context, elevating from standard user toward SYSTEM. No public proof-of-concept was identified in the provided data, and the AC:H race condition makes exploitation non-trivial but feasible with repeated attempts. |
Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.
Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 14, 2026
Local privilege escalation in Windows Push Notifications allows an attacker who already holds a low-privileged authenticated local session to gain SYSTEM-level code execution by exploiting a timing-dependent use-after-free (CWE-416), but the high complexity score (AC:H) and race-condition requirement make successful exploitation unreliable. Microsoft has released patches, and no public exploit has been identified at time of analysis. The flaw scores 7.0 CVSS and can lead to full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact, yet the mandatory local access prerequisite makes it a genuine but not top-priority issue.
RemediationAI
Apply the Microsoft update for CVE-2026-70198 via Windows Update or the MSRC update guide (https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-70198). For each affected version, the fixed build is the upper bound of the affected range: Windows 11 24H2 ≥ 10.0.26100.9711, Windows 11 25H2 ≥ 10.0.26200.9711, Windows 11 23H2 ≥ 10.0.22631.7652, Windows 11 26H1 ≥ 10.0.28000.3231, Windows 11 26H2 ≥ 10.0.26300.9711, Windows 10 1809 and Server 2019 ≥ 10.0.17763.9376, Windows 10 21H2 ≥ 10.0.19044.7807, Windows Server 2022 ≥ 10.0.20348.5761, and Windows Server 2025 ≥ 10.0.26100.33650. Windows 10 22H2 users should consult the MSRC advisory for the correct fixed build, as the EUVD range for that version appears inconsistent. If patching must be delayed, restrict local interactive logon to trusted users (since the vulnerability requires an existing low-privileged session) and monitor for unusual crashes in the Push Notifications service, but these measures are only compensating controls and do not eliminate the risk.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
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 vulnerability is a use-after-free (CWE-416) in the Windows Push Notifications subsystem, a user-mode component that manages notification delivery and interaction with the Windows Notification Platform. A use-after-free occurs when memory is freed but a pointer to it is subsequently dereferenced, allowing an attacker to influence the reallocation of that memory and potentially execute arbitrary code in the context of the component. In this case, the flaw requires a local attacker with low privileges (PR:L) to interact with the affected interface and win a race condition (AC:H) to trigger the reuse of the freed memory; no user interaction on the victim's part is required (UI:N). The affected builds span Windows 10, Windows 11 (versions 21H2 through 26H2), and Windows Server 2019, 2022, and 2025, as enumerated in the EUVD advisory. Successful exploitation elevates privileges to SYSTEM, giving full control over the host.
Know when the next one hits your stack
- 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
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local-only use-after-free requiring an existing low-privilege session (AV:L/PR:L) and a timing race to trigger reuse (AC:H), yielding full code-execution impact (C/I/A:H).
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Windows Push Notifications allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
Microsoft Windows Push Notifications is affected by a high-severity local privilege escalation vulnerability that could let an attacker with an existing low-privileged foothold on a Windows endpoint gain SYSTEM-level control of that machine. Although the race-condition requirement makes reliable exploitation difficult and no public exploit identified at time of analysis, a successful attack would expose full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on the affected host. Leadership should care because compromised endpoints could become a stepping stone for credential theft, lateral movement, and broader operational disruption, making timely patching of Windows systems a priority.
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
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.
EUVD-2026-99189
GHSA-4c77-g3xx-32c4
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB