Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessAuthenticate as low-privileged local user
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DeliveryRepeatedly invoke Print Spooler operations
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ExploitWin TOCTOU race on freed object
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ExecutionReuse freed memory to hijack execution
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ImpactElevate privileges to SYSTEM
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture TOCTOU prevention
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires an attacker who already has local, interactive, authenticated access to the Windows host as a low-privileged user (PR:L, AV:L) - there is no remote or unauthenticated vector. Exploitation targets the Print Spooler service, which is present and typically running by default on Windows clients and servers, so no unusual configuration is needed to reach the vulnerable code. The primary limiting factor is the race condition (AC:H, CWE-367 TOCTOU): the attacker must repeatedly trigger spooler operations and win a narrow timing window, making exploitation unreliable and requiring repeated attempts; no user interaction (UI:N) by a victim is required. Defenders can meaningfully reduce exposure by disabling the Print Spooler service where printing is not needed. |
| Impact | This is a moderate-priority local privilege escalation, not an urgent remote threat. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U, C:H/I:H/A:H) scores 7.0 (High) but its own metrics constrain real-world risk: the attacker must already have local access as an authenticated low-privileged user (PR:L) and must win a race condition (AC:H), which is difficult to exploit reliably. These signals align with the SSVC framework input (Exploitation: none, Automatable: no, Technical Impact: total): total impact if successful, but no observed exploitation and not amenable to automated/wormable attacks. No EPSS score, KEV listing, or POC indicator was provided, so there is no evidence of active or likely imminent exploitation - treat the absence as 'unknown/none observed,' not as proof of safety. One cross-source discrepancy should be verified: the description and CWE conflict - the text says 'use after free' while the assigned CWE-367 is a time-of-check/time-of-use race condition; the AC:H rating supports a race-based TOCTOU/UAF, but confirm the precise flaw class with Microsoft. Additionally, the 'Denial Of Service' tag contradicts the data - this is an elevation-of-privilege bug with full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact - so the tag appears mislabeled. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A low-privileged but authenticated user already logged onto a Windows host runs a crafted local program that repeatedly interacts with the Print Spooler service to hit a narrow timing window in how a freed object is referenced. By winning this race, the attacker reuses the freed memory to corrupt execution state and elevate to SYSTEM. No public exploit code was identified at time of analysis, and the high attack complexity means exploitation is unreliable and typically requires many attempts. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 14, 2026
Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows Print Spooler components allows an authenticated, low-privileged user with interactive access to a Windows host to elevate privileges by triggering a race condition in spooler object handling. Affected builds span Windows 10 (1607 through 22H2), Windows 11 (23H2 through 26H2), and Windows Server 2012 through 2025, including Server Core installations; the vulnerable spooler service is present and normally running by default, so no unusual configuration is required to reach the flaw. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, CISA SSVC records exploitation as 'none', and vendor-released patches are available per the MSRC advisory - this is a moderate-priority LPE rather than an urgent remote threat.
RemediationAI
Apply the Microsoft security update for your specific Windows build per the MSRC advisory (https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-84018); the fixed builds identified by ENISA EUVD are Windows 11 23H2 10.0.22631.7652, 24H2 10.0.26100.9711, 25H2 10.0.26200.9711, 26H1 10.0.28000.3231 and 26H2 10.0.26300.9711; Windows 10 1607 and Server 2016 10.0.14393.9612; Windows 10 1809 and Server 2019 10.0.17763.9376; Windows 10 21H2/22H2 10.0.19044.7807; Server 2022 10.0.20348.5761; Server 2025 10.0.26100.33650; Server 2012 6.2.9200.26434; and Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.23470. Where printing is not required, disabling the Print Spooler service (spoolsv) via Group Policy or the Services console removes the attack surface entirely, at the cost of breaking local and network printing, print-to-PDF workflows that rely on the spooler, and some scanner/fax integrations; a less disruptive compensating control is to treat the vulnerability as an insider/local-privilege issue and strictly limit who receives interactive logon or low-privileged session access on multi-user hosts such as Remote Desktop Services and terminal servers. Because exploitation requires a local authenticated session and the race is high-complexity and unreliable, priority should follow standard patch cycles rather than emergency out-of-band deployment, but hosts shared by many low-privileged users warrant accelerated patching.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 20 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 Windows Print Spooler (spoolsv.exe) is a SYSTEM-privileged service that exposes print-related functionality to local applications and, when remote sharing is enabled, to network clients over RPC (spoolss). This vulnerability is described as a use-after-free in spooler components while being classified under CWE-367 (Time-of-check Time-of-use Race Condition), which together point to an object lifecycle bug in which a race window permits a spooler structure to be freed and subsequently dereferenced during concurrent print operations. Because the flaw is triggered through the TOCTOU race, the assessed CVSS vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H reflects a local (AV:L), high-complexity (AC:H) attack requiring an existing low-privileged session (PR:L) and no victim interaction (UI:N), with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact confined to the same security scope. The elevated privileges of the spooler process are what make a successful spooler memory-corruption bug a viable privilege-escalation primitive; success depends on repeatedly invoking spooler operations and winning a narrow timing window, so exploitation is inherently unreliable. CISA's SSVC evaluation records Exploitation: none, Automatable: no, and Technical Impact: total, and the ENISA EUVD entry (EUVD-2026-99455) enumerates the affected Windows build ranges.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local authenticated user (AV:L/PR:L), race condition drives AC:H, no victim interaction (UI:N), and successful exploitation yields SYSTEM-level control giving full C:H/I:H/A:H within an unchanged scope.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Windows Print Spooler Components allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
A privilege-escalation flaw in the Windows Print Spooler exposes essentially the entire supported Windows estate, spanning Windows 10 (1607 through 22H2), Windows 11 (23H2 through 26H2), and Windows Server 2012 through 2025, including Server Core installations where the spooler runs by default with no unusual configuration required. The risk is post-compromise rather than entry-point: an attacker must already hold low-privileged interactive access to a host, so the practical impact is that a minor foothold on a workstation or server could be converted into full administrative control over that system. With no public exploit identified at time of analysis and vendor patches available per the MSRC advisory, leadership should treat this as a scheduled, high-discipline patching obligation affecting a very large install base rather than a crisis-level incident.
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
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EUVD-2026-99455
GHSA-7738-6f7v-rv89
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB