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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privileged local foothold
  2. Delivery
    Invoke vulnerable Print Spooler interface
  3. Exploit
    Trigger heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122)
  4. Execution
    Corrupt heap to hijack execution
  5. Impact
    Elevate to SYSTEM privileges

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution

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

Exploitation Conditions

Requires local, authenticated access: the attacker must already be able to execute code as a low-privileged (non-admin) user on the target Windows system and interact with the local Print Spooler service components, which are enabled by default across affected Windows 10/11 and Windows Server 2012-2025 builds. No user interaction and no network access are needed (AV:L/UI:N), but the need for a pre-existing local foothold and standard-user privileges (PR:L) is the primary limiting factor - this is not remotely exploitable and cannot be launched by an unauthenticated outsider. Exploitation also depends on the host running a pre-patch build (e.g., below 10.0.26100.33650 for Server 2025 or 10.0.19044.7807 for Windows 10 21H2).

Impact

Signals are largely consistent and point to a genuine but second-tier priority. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, base 7.8 HIGH) describes a local privilege-escalation requiring an already-authenticated low-privileged attacker - not a remotely reachable flaw. CISA's SSVC framework reinforces this: Exploitation=none (no observed or public exploitation), Automatable=no (consistent with a local EoP that needs an existing foothold), but Technical Impact=total (full compromise once triggered, matching C:H/I:H/A:H). There is no CISA KEV listing and no POC indicated in the input, so exploitation status is: no public exploit identified at time of analysis. No EPSS score was provided, so probabilistic exploitation likelihood cannot be compared here. The honest read: this is a real patch-worthy vulnerability - Print Spooler EoP bugs are historically attractive as the second stage of an intrusion (post-phishing/initial-access) and Microsoft's own component makes it ubiquitous - but with local-only vector, required privileges, and no exploitation/POC evidence, it is a 'patch in normal cycle, prioritized on high-value hosts' issue rather than an emergency. No key signals conflict; the main gaps are the absent EPSS score and the lack of an independent vendor advisory beyond the MSRC update-guide link.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who already has a low-privileged foothold on a Windows host (e.g., via phishing or a compromised standard user account) interacts with the local Print Spooler components to trigger a heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122). Because the CVSS vector is AV:L/PR:L/UI:N, no user interaction or network access is needed - only local code execution as an unprivileged user - and successful corruption of heap structures yields SYSTEM-level privileges. No public exploit is identified at time of analysis, so this would currently require original exploit development.

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

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026

Local privilege escalation in the Windows Print Spooler allows a low-privileged, already-authenticated user to corrupt heap memory and gain elevated (SYSTEM-level) code execution on the affected host. The flaw is a heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122) reachable only with a pre-existing local foothold and standard-user rights (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N, base 7.8); it is not remotely or unauthenticated-exploitable, and no user interaction is required once local access exists. At time of analysis there is no public exploit identified and CISA's SSVC assessment records no observed exploitation, though technical impact is rated total given the full confidentiality, integrity, and availability loss on the target; vendor patches are available, which keeps this a genuine but second-tier priority relative to remotely exploitable spooler defects.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patches are available. Apply the Microsoft security update referenced in the MSRC advisory (https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-85327) and confirm each host reaches or exceeds the fixed build for its branch: 10.0.14393.9612 (Windows 10 1607 / Server 2016), 10.0.17763.9376 (Windows 10 1809 / Server 2019), 10.0.19044.7807 (Windows 10 21H2, and the 22H2 row as reported), 10.0.22631.7652 (Windows 11 23H2), 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), 10.0.26100.33650 (Server 2025), 10.0.20348.5761 (Server 2022), 6.2.9200.26434 (Server 2012), and 6.3.9600.23470 (Server 2012 R2). Where patching cannot be completed immediately, the only meaningful compensating control is reducing the local attack surface: on hosts that do not print - particularly domain controllers, clustered nodes, and hardened servers - disable the Print Spooler service (sc config spoolsv start= disabled) and the Print Spooler / PrintWorkflow feature set, accepting the trade-off that local and network printing, plus any third-party print-management or scan-to-file workflows, will stop working. Removing or restricting non-essential print drivers and restricting who may install printers reduces the reachable code paths but is not a substitute for the patch. Because the vector is AV:L/PR:L, hardening that prevents low-privileged users from obtaining an initial foothold (application allowlisting, prompt credential rotation, EDR coverage for spoolsv.exe memory-corruption crashes) is the relevant defense-in-depth layer; there is no network-facing port or endpoint to block that would mitigate this issue.

Affected VersionsENISA

Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation) 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9612
Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows 10 Version 1607 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9612
Windows 10 Version 21H2 10.0.19044.0 <10.0.19044.7807
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.0 <10.0.20348.5761
Windows 11 Version 25H2 10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.9711
Windows 10 Version 22H2 10.0.19045.0 <10.0.19044.7807
Windows 11 Version 26H2 10.0.26300.0 <10.0.26300.9711
Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) 6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.26434
Windows Server 2019 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376
Windows Server 2016 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9612
Windows Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23470
Windows Server 2012 6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.26434
Windows 11 Version 24H2 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.9711
Windows 10 Version 1809 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376
Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 <10.0.28000.3231
Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23470
Windows 11 Version 23H2 10.0.22631.0 <10.0.22631.7652

Affected Packages

euvd windows_10_version_1607 fix: 10.0.14393.9612
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_2012 fix: 6.2.9200.26434
euvd windows_server_2012_r2 fix: 6.3.9600.23470
euvd windows_server_2012_r2_server_core_installation fix: 6.3.9600.23470
euvd windows_server_2012_server_core_installation fix: 6.2.9200.26434
euvd windows_server_2016 fix: 10.0.14393.9612
euvd windows_server_2016_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.14393.9612
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 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 affected component is the Windows Print Spooler, the service stack (principally spoolsv.exe and its associated print-provider and port-monitor components) that manages print jobs, drivers, and printer ports and that runs with SYSTEM privileges on all supported Windows client and server releases. Per the CWE-122 classification, a heap-based buffer overflow occurs when the spooler processes attacker-influenced input into a heap allocation without adequate bounds validation, allowing adjacent heap memory to be overwritten. Because the vulnerable code executes inside a SYSTEM-level service, a standard user who can reach the vulnerable interface through local interaction with spooler components can turn memory corruption into a privilege boundary crossing - the classic local-print-spooler elevation pattern seen in prior spooler disclosures. Exploitation is constrained by the vector: AV:L and PR:L mean the attacker must already run code as a non-administrative user on the host, and UI:N means no victim interaction is needed beyond that foothold. The heap layout details are version-dependent, so reliability differs across the many Windows build families listed, and successful exploitation additionally depends on the host running a pre-patch build.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.8 HIGH

Local EoP by an authorized low-privileged user (AV:L, PR:L), no user interaction, and total system compromise on success yields C:H/I:H/A:H with unchanged scope.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/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
Low
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 - 19:20 cve.org
HIGH 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Print Spooler Components allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A high-severity privilege-escalation flaw in the Windows Print Spooler component of affected Microsoft Windows systems allows an attacker who already holds a standard user account on a machine to elevate to full SYSTEM-level control of that host. Because exploitation requires an existing local foothold rather than remote or unauthenticated access, the immediate risk is concentrated in environments where intruders may already have a beachhead - such as shared workstations, kiosks, VDI pools, and jump hosts - where escalation would turn a contained incident into complete compromise of the endpoint's data and credentials. Leadership should treat this as a genuine but second-tier priority behind remotely exploitable exposure, with remediation driven by standard patch cycles rather than emergency escalation.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 77% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Print Spooler is a default component across virtually all Windows editions
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
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

A heap overflow occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a buffer allocated in the heap memory region.

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