Skip to main content
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privilege local access
  2. Delivery
    Craft malicious serialized object
  3. Exploit
    Submit to WMI deserialization path
  4. Execution
    Execute code in elevated context
  5. Impact
    Gain SYSTEM-level privileges

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A08:2025 - Software or Data Integrity Failures
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Safe deserialization, type allowlists
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, Initial Access

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 have authenticated low-privilege local access to the Windows host (CVSS PR:L, AV:L) and the ability to reach the vulnerable Windows Management Instrumentation deserialization path; no user interaction is needed (UI:N). It cannot be exploited remotely over the network and cannot be exploited by a fully unauthenticated attacker. Limiting factors that reduce real-world risk: the need for prior local foothold and valid credentials means this functions as a privilege-escalation step within an existing intrusion rather than an initial compromise vector. The description does not name a specific non-default configuration or feature toggle, so the WMI deserialization path appears reachable in default Windows installations within the listed version ranges.

Impact

This is a locally-exploitable privilege-escalation flaw (CVSS 3.1 7.8, AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N) in Windows Management Instrumentation caused by deserialization of untrusted data (CWE-502). The CVSS vector is internally consistent with the description: local attack vector, low complexity, and low-privilege authentication (PR:L) matching an 'authorized attacker' who elevates to full confidentiality/integrity/availability impact (C:H/I:H/A:H) on the same system (S:U). No EPSS score, CISA KEV listing, SSVC decision, or POC indicator was provided in the input, so exploitation probability cannot be quantified and there is no evidence of active exploitation or public exploit code. In practical terms this is a credible second-stage escalation primitive rather than an initial-access or wormable threat - it cannot be triggered remotely and requires an attacker to already hold valid low-privilege local access, which meaningfully constrains real-world urgency compared to its 7.8 base score. The absence of EPSS/KEV/POC data is a genuine intelligence gap, not confirmation of low risk; prioritize patching on multi-user and server systems where untrusted low-privilege accounts exist.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has already obtained low-privileged authenticated access to a Windows host (e.g., via phishing, a compromised service account, or a standard user session) supplies crafted serialized data to the WMI component, which deserializes it unsafely and executes attacker-controlled logic in a higher-privilege context. No public exploit code was identified in the provided data, and because the CVSS vector is AV:L the attack requires local presence on the machine rather than remote network access.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 2.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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

Alert me

AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026

Local privilege escalation in Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) lets an authenticated attacker with only low-privilege access on a Windows host elevate to SYSTEM or administrator privileges by feeding crafted serialized data into a vulnerable WMI deserialization path. Successful exploitation requires an existing local foothold and valid credentials (CVSS:3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N, base 7.8) and requires no user interaction, so it is not remotely reachable and cannot be triggered by an unauthenticated attacker. No public exploit identified at time of analysis and there is no confirmed active exploitation (CISA KEV) for this issue; a vendor patch is available from Microsoft, so risk is concentrated in environments where attackers have already established a low-privilege presence and where patch cycles are slow.

RemediationAI

Apply the Microsoft cumulative security update for the applicable Windows build, available per the vendor advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-88091; the patched build levels to reach are Windows 11 23H2 10.0.22631.7652, 24H2/25H2 10.0.26100.9711 and 10.0.26200.9711, 26H1 10.0.28000.3231, 26H2 10.0.26300.9711, Windows 10 21H2/22H2 10.0.19044.7807, 1607 10.0.14393.9612 and 1809 10.0.17763.9376, and for servers Server 2012 6.2.9200.26434, 2012 R2 6.3.9600.23470, 2016 10.0.14393.9612, 2019 10.0.17763.9376, 2022 10.0.20348.5761 and 2025 10.0.26100.33650. Prioritize domain controllers, servers and administrative workstations for immediate patching and reboot, since the vulnerability is only exploitable by a caller who already has local low-privilege access on the host. Where patching must be deferred, compensating controls should target the prerequisite rather than the flaw itself: restrict interactive and batch logon rights on sensitive hosts so untrusted accounts cannot obtain the local foothold the exploit chain depends on, remove or tightly scope local administrative and remote-management group membership, and constrain WMI remote namespace and DCOM access with Windows Firewall and WMI namespace security ACLs so that only approved management infrastructure can reach the service - noting that aggressive WMI/DCOM hardening can break monitoring, inventory, backup and configuration-management tooling, so validate before broad rollout. Because this is a post-compromise privilege-escalation primitive, also treat any detected WMI abuse as evidence of an existing intrusion and hunt for it accordingly; further workarounds may be listed alongside the fix in Microsoft's MSRC guidance.

Affected VersionsENISA

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

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 flaw is an instance of CWE-502, Deserialization of Untrusted Data, in Windows Management Instrumentation - the Microsoft implementation of WBEM that exposes system management data and operations through WMI providers, the CIM repository, DCOM/RPC interfaces and the WMI service (Winmgmt). Because WMI objects and method parameters are transmitted and materialized as serialized structures, a component that reconstructs objects from data without adequately validating or constraining the type information it accepts can be induced to instantiate or invoke unintended objects and methods, which in a privileged service context converts into code execution at a higher integrity level. The CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) confirms the vulnerable code path is reachable only from the local machine by a caller who already holds valid low-privileged credentials, but once reached requires no user interaction, no race conditions and no special complexity to achieve high confidentiality, integrity and availability impact on the affected host. The description does not identify a non-default feature toggle or configuration gate, indicating the WMI deserialization path is present in default installations of the listed Windows builds. No CPE strings were supplied with the intelligence feed, so product scoping is derived from the EUVD affected-version build ranges covering both client and server editions, including Server Core installation options.

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

Local privilege escalation requires an existing low-privilege session so AV:L and PR:L; unsafe deserialization yields code execution in an elevated context giving full C:H/I:H/A:H.

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 - 19:21 cve.org
HIGH 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

Deserialization of untrusted data in Windows Management Instrumentation allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A high-severity local privilege-escalation flaw in Microsoft Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) allows an attacker who already holds a low-privilege account on a Windows host to elevate to SYSTEM or administrator rights, giving them full control of that machine. Because exploitation requires an existing foothold and valid credentials rather than remote access, the practical risk is concentrated in organizations with slow patching and any attacker presence on endpoints and servers. Leadership should treat this as an amplifier for existing intrusions - it can turn a minor compromised account into full host and potentially domain-level control - and prioritize remediation on internet-facing and tier-zero systems.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
2.1%
Top 18% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
WMI is a core component of essentially every supported Windows client and server
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 2.1%
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

41
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: +2
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Insecure deserialization occurs when an application converts serialized data (a stream of bytes representing an object's state) back into a living object without proper validation.

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