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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DeliveryInteract with Windows Installer service
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ExploitTrigger use-after-free via race window
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ExecutionReclaim freed object with crafted data
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ImpactExecute code as SYSTEM
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 | Requires LOCAL access with an existing low-privileged authenticated account (PR:L, AV:L) on a host running the Windows Installer (msiexec) service, which is present by default on all supported Windows client and server editions - no special feature flag or non-default configuration is called out in the advisory. Exploitation hinges on triggering and winning a use-after-free race condition (reflected in AC:H), so success is timing-dependent and not guaranteed on a single attempt. Limiting factors: no remote vector (local only), the attacker must already be authenticated on the system, no user interaction of a victim is required (UI:N) but a prior foothold is, and high attack complexity reduces reliability. Server Core installations are also affected per the EUVD version list. |
| Impact | Signals are consistent and point to a moderate, non-urgent priority. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.0 (High) with vector AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N - local vector, high attack complexity, and low privileges already required - which caps real-world urgency despite the 'total' technical impact (C:H/I:H/A:H). CISA SSVC reinforces this: Exploitation=none and Automatable=no, meaning no observed exploitation and no reliable mass-automation path (consistent with a race-condition use-after-free that is fingerprintable but not trivially weaponizable). The vulnerability is NOT in CISA KEV and no public exploit code was identified in the provided data, so exploitation status is 'no public exploit identified at time of analysis.' The AC:H metric aligns with a CWE-416 use-after-free that likely depends on winning a timing/race window, which also explains Automatable=no. Net: this is a legitimate local elevation-of-privilege flaw worth patching in normal cycles, but not an emergency - the combination of required local authenticated access, high complexity, no automation, and no known exploitation keeps real-world risk well below what the 7.0 'High' label alone might suggest. The one minor conflict is the 'Denial Of Service' input tag versus a description that states only privilege elevation; the A:H impact partially supports an availability effect, but the primary consequence is EoP, not DoS. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A local, low-privileged attacker who has already gained a foothold on a Windows host (e.g., a standard user account or a constrained service account) interacts with the Windows Installer service to trigger a use-after-free, winning a race condition to reclaim the freed object with attacker-controlled data. Successful exploitation yields code execution at SYSTEM, giving full control of the machine. No public exploit code was identified in the provided data, and the high attack complexity (AC:H) makes reliable exploitation non-trivial. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026
Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows Installer (msiexec) allows an authenticated low-privileged user to trigger a use-after-free (CWE-416) in the installer component and elevate to higher-integrity code execution on the same host. The flaw carries CVSS 3.1 base score 7.0 (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), meaning it is local-only, requires an existing low-privileged account, needs no victim interaction, and is timing-dependent because the race must be won (AC:H). It affects a very broad footprint of supported Windows client and server editions, including Server Core installations, but no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis and CISA's SSVC assessment records Exploitation: none with Automatable: no; signals are consistent and point to a moderate, non-urgent priority, with vendor-released fixes already available.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patch: Microsoft has published fixes through the MSRC update guide (https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96302) that raise affected systems to the patched build thresholds for their platform - for example Windows 11 24H2 to 10.0.26100.9711, Windows 11 25H2 to 10.0.26200.9711, Windows 11 23H2 to 10.0.22631.7652, Windows 10 21H2/22H2 to 10.0.19044.7807 and 10.0.19045.7807, Windows Server 2025 to 10.0.26100.33650, Windows Server 2022 to 10.0.20348.5761, Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10 1809 to 10.0.17763.9376, Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 1607 to 10.0.14393.9612, and Server 2012/2012 R2 to 6.2.9200.26434 and 6.3.9600.23470, including the corresponding Server Core builds. Prioritize patching per normal monthly cumulative-update cadence rather than emergency response, since exploitation is assessed as none, no public exploit code exists, and the issue is not automatable; nevertheless, hosts where standard users are granted interactive logons and can invoke msiexec are the relevant exposure set. Where immediate patching is not possible, the practical compensating controls all target the local privilege boundary rather than the network: enforce application control (WDAC/AppLocker) so that only trusted, signed installer packages can be executed and so standard users cannot launch arbitrary msiexec operations - the trade-off is that unsigned or in-house MSI packages will begin failing and require explicit allowlisting; remove unnecessary local administrative rights and use Just Enough Administration / restricted tokens so a standard account is not an attractive pivot, at the cost of additional helpdesk overhead; and monitor Windows Installer operational and Application event logs (msiexec event sources, 1033/1040 install events, plus crash/handle-corruption telemetry) for anomalous installer activity, accepting that such monitoring is detective only and will not stop a well-timed race. Because the defect is a use-after-free in a core component, there is no configuration setting or port-level block that removes the exposure while leaving Windows Installer fully functional; the patch is the only complete fix.
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 vulnerability sits in the Windows Installer service (msiexec), the default-by-design component that processes .msi/.msp packages and performs installation, repair, and rollback operations, typically executing with high privilege on the local system. The root cause class is CWE-416, Use After Free: a heap-allocated object is released and then dereferenced or re-used, corrupting memory within the installer process. This is consistent with the supplied tags for Use After Free, Memory Corruption, and Denial Of Service - the same defect can both crash (the DoS tag) and, with careful heap grooming and timing, be steered toward controlled memory reuse for privilege escalation. The high attack-complexity rating in the assessed vector reflects the race-condition nature of reliably hitting the freed object, and the AC:L absence is the main reason this is not treated as an automatable enterprise-wide risk. Because the vector is AV:L with PR:L and UI:N, an attacker must already hold a foothold on the machine (for example a standard user session or a low-integrity process) and then invoke the installer locally; there is no remote, network-facing path described. CPE scope derived from the EUVD version list covers Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2012 through Windows Server 2025 kernels running the affected msiexec builds.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local use-after-free EoP: AV:L and PR:L because a logged-on low-priv account is needed, AC:H for the race condition, and full SYSTEM compromise gives C:H/I:H/A:H.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Windows Installer allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
Microsoft Windows Installer (msiexec) contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2026-96302) that could allow an authenticated low-privileged user to execute code at higher integrity on the same host. Because it affects a broad set of supported Windows client and server editions, including Server Core, unpatched systems could enable insider privilege escalation or lateral movement. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and vendor-released fixes are available.
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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
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EUVD-2026-99759
GHSA-3pwf-pm96-rmgx
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB