Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privileged local session
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DeliveryExecute crafted Win32K-triggering binary
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ExploitWin race to trigger use-after-free
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ExecutionCorrupt kernel object and hijack execution
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ImpactElevate to SYSTEM privileges
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 local, authenticated low-privileged account on the target host (PR:L, AV:L) and to execute code locally against the Win32K subsystem - there is no remote or network-triggerable path. The key LIMITING factor is the high attack complexity (AC:H): the use-after-free depends on winning a timing/race window in kernel object lifetime, so exploitation is not reliably repeatable and is not automatable (SSVC Automatable: no). No user interaction is required (UI:N). The flaw affects default configurations of supported Windows client and server editions (Windows 10 1607-22H2, Windows 11 23H2-26H2, Server 2016-2025) below the patched builds listed in EUVD-2026-99399; applying the vendor update removes the condition. |
| Impact | Signals here are largely concordant and point to a genuine but not top-tier priority. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U) describes a local attack requiring an already-authenticated low-privileged foothold and a high-complexity trigger - consistent with a Win32K use-after-free (CWE-416) that must win a race or hit a specific timing window to be exploited reliably. Impact is total (C:H/I:H/A:H), and CISA's SSVC framework agrees (Technical Impact: total), which is typical for a kernel-mode EoP yielding SYSTEM. However, exploitation signals are low: SSVC Exploitation is 'none' (no observed exploitation), the input provides no KEV listing and no POC, so the status is no public exploit identified at time of analysis. No EPSS score was supplied, so probabilistic exploitation likelihood cannot be quantified - a missing signal, not a low one. SSVC Automatable: no aligns with AC:H, indicating this cannot be reliably mass-exploited. Net: a real, patch-now-in-normal-cycle local EoP (kernel UAF, full SYSTEM potential) rather than an emergency; its value to attackers is as a post-compromise privilege-escalation link, not an initial-access or wormable threat. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who already has a low-privileged authenticated session on a Windows host (e.g., via phishing, a web-shell, or stolen credentials) runs a crafted program that triggers the Win32K use-after-free, winning the required race condition to corrupt kernel memory and elevate to SYSTEM. No user interaction is needed, but local code execution and the high-complexity timing requirement (AC:H) make reliable exploitation non-trivial. No public exploit code was identified at the time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 14, 2026
Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows Win32K allows an attacker who already holds a low-privileged local account to corrupt kernel memory and elevate to SYSTEM-level rights via a use-after-free condition (CWE-416). Exploitation is confined to the local host (AV:L, PR:L) and is gated by high attack complexity (AC:H) because the attacker must win a timing window in kernel object lifetime management; no user interaction is required and the flaw affects default configurations of Windows 10 1607 through 22H2, Windows 11 23H2 through 26H2, and Windows Server 2016 through 2025 below the patched builds listed in EUVD-2026-99399. There is no confirmed active exploitation (CISA KEV is not present) and no public exploit code identified at time of analysis; CISA's SSVC assessment rates exploitation as none and automatable as no, though technical impact is total once code execution is achieved. Microsoft has released fixes, and Microsoft product versions with the vendor update applied are not affected.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor-released patch: Microsoft has published fixes for this issue (Patch status: available from vendor), and the fixed servicing baselines per EUVD-2026-99399 are 10.0.14393.9612 (Windows 10 1607 / Server 2016 and Server Core), 10.0.17763.9376 (Windows 10 1809 / Server 2019 and Server Core), 10.0.19044.7807 (Windows 10 21H2 and 22H2), 10.0.20348.5761 (Server 2022), 10.0.22631.7652 (Windows 11 23H2), 10.0.26100.33650 (Server 2025 and Server Core), 10.0.26100.9711 (Windows 11 24H2), 10.0.26200.9711 (Windows 11 25H2), 10.0.26300.9711 (Windows 11 26H2), and 10.0.28000.3231 (Windows 11 26H1); install the corresponding Microsoft cumulative update referenced in the MSRC update guide at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-83866 and confirm the resulting build number with 'winver' or 'Get-ComputerInfo'. Because the flaw lives in the core Win32K kernel component, there is no supported way to disable or unload the vulnerable code path without breaking the Windows graphical stack, so workarounds are inherently limited and carry real trade-offs: the most practical compensating controls are strict least-privilege hygiene to deny unprivileged interactive logons on sensitive servers (trade-off: reduced administrative flexibility and possible operational friction), removal or tight restriction of interactive/RDP access for standard users on high-value hosts (trade-off: blocks legitimate interactive use cases), and endpoint detection tuning for local kernel exploitation behavior such as unusual win32k.sys/win32kbase.sys memory corruption or unexpected SYSTEM token creation (trade-off: detection is post-hoc and the high attack complexity means attempts may be noisy but successful exploitation is hard to catch pre-execution). Prioritize patching on multi-user systems such as Remote Desktop Services hosts and terminal servers, where a low-privileged local account is easiest to obtain, and note that exploitation does not require user interaction or network reachability, so perimeter controls do not reduce risk.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 16 packages in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
Win32K is the kernel-mode component of the Windows subsystem that implements the window manager, GDI graphics primitives, and the user-mode/kernel transition stubs exposed through win32k.sys, win32kbase.sys, and win32kfull.sys. The vulnerability is a use-after-free (CWE-416): a kernel object - most plausibly a GDI or user object whose handle and lifetime are managed by the Win32K object manager - can be freed while a stale reference to it is still reachable, so a subsequent operation on that dangling pointer writes to or reads from memory that has been reallocated for another purpose. Because Win32K runs in kernel mode with SYSTEM privileges, converting this corruption into controlled execution yields a full privilege boundary crossing. The high attack complexity (AC:H) reflects the need to synchronize object destruction with the stale-reference path to win the race, which is why SSVC marks the issue non-automatable and exploitation is not reliable or repeatable. The CVSS vector AV:L/PR:L/UI:N/C:H/I:H/A:H confirms that a locally authenticated low-privileged user is both required and sufficient as a starting position, and that successful exploitation compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability completely within the security scope. The CPE/version data ties the flaw to specific Windows build baselines: 10.0.14393 (Server 2016/Windows 10 1607), 10.0.17763 (Server 2019/Windows 10 1809), 10.0.19044 (Windows 10 21H2), 10.0.19045 (Windows 10 22H2), 10.0.20348 (Server 2022), 10.0.22631 (Windows 11 23H2), 10.0.26100 (Server 2025, Windows 11 24H2), 10.0.26200 (Windows 11 25H2), 10.0.26300 (Windows 11 26H2), and 10.0.28000 (Windows 11 26H1), indicating the defect is present across the entire supported Windows servicing tree rather than in an isolated component or add-on.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local kernel UAF needing an existing low-priv session (AV:L, PR:L) and a race window (AC:H); successful EoP to SYSTEM yields full C/I/A impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Windows Win32K allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
Microsoft Windows contains a high-severity local privilege escalation vulnerability that could allow an attacker with basic user access to gain full system control. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis, but the widespread use of affected Windows versions across enterprise environments means unpatched systems pose a significant risk of insider threats or compromised accounts being leveraged for deeper network penetration. Leadership should prioritize patching to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data and potential operational disruption.
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-2026-99399
GHSA-mfc9-f34v-g35g
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB