Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessAuthenticate with low privileges locally
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ExploitSupply untrusted pointer to SSPI
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ExecutionTrigger invalid pointer dereference
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ImpactExecute code as SYSTEM
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Untrusted pointer prevention
|
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires a local, authenticated low-privileged session on the Windows host (AV:L, PR:L) - the attacker must already be able to run code on the machine, so this is a second-stage escalation primitive, not an initial-access or remote bug. The flaw is in the Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI) and is triggered by supplying an untrusted/attacker-controlled pointer that the component dereferences (CWE-822). LIMITING FACTORS: high attack complexity (AC:H) indicates a non-deterministic trigger such as a race condition or a precise memory layout that the attacker must reliably achieve, materially reducing exploit reliability; no user interaction is needed (UI:N) and scope is unchanged (S:U). Applies to default configurations across the broad list of affected Windows 10/11, Windows Server 2012 R2 through 2025, and Server Core installations below the fixed build numbers in the EUVD data. |
| Impact | Signals are largely consistent and point to a genuine but second-tier priority rather than an emergency. The Microsoft-supplied CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N) describes a local privilege-escalation flaw requiring an authenticated foothold and a high-complexity trigger - not a remotely reachable or trivially automatable issue. CISA's SSVC framing reinforces this: Exploitation 'none' (no observed or public exploitation) and Automatable 'no', which caps real-world urgency, even though Technical Impact is rated 'total' (consistent with the C:H/I:H/A:H full-SYSTEM compromise once triggered). There is no CISA KEV listing and no POC indicator in the input, so this is not confirmed active exploitation. EPSS is not provided, so probabilistic exploitation likelihood cannot be factored in - STATE EXPLICITLY: no EPSS score was supplied. One data inconsistency: the input Tags include 'Information Disclosure', but the description and CVSS both describe an elevation-of-privilege (untrusted pointer dereference, CWE-822) issue - treat the tag as suspect, not the vector. Net: a high-impact-if-exploited local EoP that is valuable to an attacker already on the host (second-stage privilege escalation), but the AC:H trigger and lack of exploitation evidence make it a patch-on-normal-cycle item rather than a drop-everything fix for most environments; prioritize on multi-user, RDP, or shared Windows hosts. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who already has a low-privileged authenticated session on a Windows host (e.g., via phishing or stolen credentials) runs a crafted program that passes an untrusted pointer into the Security Support Provider Interface, causing an invalid dereference that corrupts memory and yields SYSTEM-level code execution. The high attack complexity (AC:H) implies the attacker must win a race or establish a specific memory state, so exploitation is reliable only with a well-engineered tool. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026
Local privilege escalation in Windows Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI) lets an attacker who already holds a low-privileged local session on a Windows host run code at a higher integrity level, ultimately up to SYSTEM, by supplying a pointer that the component dereferences without validation. All supported branches are exposed - Windows 10 1607 through 22H2, Windows 11 23H2 through 26H2, and Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025, including Server Core installations, below the fixed build numbers published by the vendor. High attack complexity (AC:H) points to a non-deterministic trigger such as a race or a precise memory layout, so reliability is attacker-dependent; there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and CISA's SSVC assessment records exploitation as none, making this a second-stage escalation primitive rather than an urgent remote threat. The vendor has released patches and Microsoft lists the issue as requiring an authorized (authenticated, low-privileged) local attacker.
RemediationAI
Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2026-88098 so each host reaches the fixed build for its branch - for example 10.0.19044.7807 for Windows 10 21H2/22H2, 10.0.17763.9376 for Windows 10 1809 and Server 2019, 10.0.14393.9612 for Windows 10 1607 and Server 2016, 10.0.20348.5761 for Server 2022, 10.0.26100.33650 for Server 2025, 10.0.26100.9711 / 10.0.26200.9711 / 10.0.26300.9711 / 10.0.28000.3231 for the Windows 11 branches, and 6.2.9200.26434 / 6.3.9600.23470 for Server 2012 / 2012 R2; see the vendor advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-88098. Patch status is 'patch available per vendor advisory', with fixed build numbers published in the EUVD and Microsoft guidance. Because the issue is a local, authenticated escalation primitive (AV:L/PR:L, AC:H), the compensating controls that matter most are reducing who can obtain an interactive or code-execution foothold on the host: enforce least privilege and remove unnecessary local administrator and interactive logon rights, restrict RDP and console access to trusted operators, and monitor for suspicious local processes spawning with elevated tokens. Additional hardening is available but carries trade-offs and should be tested first - enabling LSA protection (RunAsPPL) hardens the authentication process against this class of memory-corruption escalation but can break unsigned or legacy authentication plug-ins, and removing unused Security Support Providers from the registry narrows the attack surface yet may break applications that depend on NTLM, Kerberos or third-party SSP packages. Since AC:H makes exploitation non-deterministic, detection should focus on anomalous privilege-escalation behaviour and repeated crash/restart patterns in authentication-related processes rather than on a specific exploit signature.
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
SSPI is the Windows abstraction layer that brokers authentication between applications and Security Support Providers (NTLM, Kerberos, Negotiate, Schannel, and third-party packages), and it is exercised inside trusted authentication flows such as LSASS. The root cause class is CWE-822, untrusted pointer dereference: a pointer value that is influenced by the caller or by attacker-controlled input reaches a dereference in the SSPI path without adequate validation, so the component reads or acts on a memory address the attacker effectively chose. Under the assessed vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) this yields full loss of confidentiality, integrity and availability within the local OS scope while the attacker still needs an existing authenticated low-privileged session - AV:L/PR:L confirm this is not an initial-access or remotely reachable flaw and UI:N confirms no victim interaction is required. AC:H indicates the trigger is not deterministic; the attacker must win a race or arrange a specific heap/memory layout to convert the bad dereference into a reliable escalation, which materially lowers practical exploit reliability and explains the SSVC 'Automatable: no' rating. Technical impact is total (full host compromise once reliable code execution in the higher-privileged context is achieved), but exploitation remains local and post-compromise. Affected CPE coverage spans the Windows 10 and Windows 11 client builds and the Windows Server 2012/2012 R2/2016/2019/2022/2025 families, including Server Core, meaning default configurations of both clients and servers are in scope.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local-only EoP needing an existing low-priv session (AV:L/PR:L), a race/precise-state trigger (AC:H), no user interaction, yielding full SYSTEM compromise (C/I/A:H).
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Untrusted pointer dereference in Windows Security Support Provider Interface allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
A high-severity privilege escalation flaw in Microsoft Windows SSPI affects a broad range of Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server releases, including Server Core. If exploited after an initial local compromise, it could let an adversary gain SYSTEM-level control of a host, increasing the risk of lateral movement and credential theft across the estate. Although no public exploit has been identified at time of analysis and attack complexity is high, the breadth of affected systems makes timely patching a management 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
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
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EUVD-2026-99650
GHSA-wj6f-3xfv-cgf7
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB