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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Authenticate as low-privileged local user
  2. Delivery
    Interact with USB print driver interface
  3. Exploit
    Trigger use-after-free race condition
  4. Execution
    Reclaim and corrupt freed kernel object
  5. Impact
    Elevate to SYSTEM privileges

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

Exploitation requires the attacker to already have authenticated local access (PR:L) to a Windows system whose USB Print Driver component is present, and to interact with that driver to reach the vulnerable code path; no user interaction by a victim is needed (UI:N). The key limiting factor is high attack complexity (AC:H): the use-after-free depends on winning a race/timing window and reclaiming freed kernel memory, so exploitation is not deterministic and is unlikely to be reliable or automatable (SSVC Automatable: no). It is local-only (AV:L) - not remotely reachable over the network - which further constrains it to attackers who have already gained a foothold. Affected builds are bounded version ranges across Windows 10 (21H2/22H2), Windows 11 (23H2/24H2/25H2/26H1/26H2), and Windows Server 2022/2025; patched builds listed in the EUVD advisory remove the condition.

Impact

This is a genuine but moderate-priority elevation-of-privilege flaw rather than an urgent emergency. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, base 7.0 HIGH) confirms local-only access, already-authenticated attacker (PR:L), and high attack complexity - consistent with the use-after-free (CWE-416) needing a race/timing condition in the USB print driver to be won reliably. All exploitation signals point toward low immediate risk: there is no CISA KEV listing and no public exploit identified at time of analysis, and the CISA SSVC decision framework records Exploitation: none and Automatable: no, which agrees with the high-complexity, local-only profile and argues against mass or wormable abuse. The one elevating factor is SSVC Technical Impact: total, matching the full C:H/I:H/A:H kernel-level impact - successful exploitation yields SYSTEM. In short, the signals are internally consistent (no conflict between CVSS, SSVC, and exploit status): high potential impact but low probability and difficulty of exploitation. Note one tagging inconsistency to verify: the input carries a 'Denial Of Service' tag, yet the CVE is described as privilege elevation with full C/I/A impact - treat it as EoP, with DoS at most a secondary memory-corruption outcome.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A low-privileged user who already has code execution on a Windows host (or a logged-in standard user) triggers the use-after-free in the USB print driver, winning a timing/race window to reclaim freed kernel memory and corrupt a dangling object. No public exploit is known, and the high attack complexity means reliable exploitation requires precise heap grooming and race-condition timing. Success elevates the attacker from a standard account to SYSTEM-level control.

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 USB Print Driver lets an authenticated attacker who already holds a foothold on a vulnerable Windows host corrupt kernel memory and obtain SYSTEM-level code execution. The flaw is a use-after-free (CWE-416) reachable only through the USB printing driver path; the assessed vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N, base 7.0) requires valid local credentials and a successful race on freed kernel memory, so exploitation is timing-dependent, non-deterministic, and rated non-automatable by CISA SSVC. Microsoft has published patched builds for all affected Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server releases, and no public exploit code or active exploitation has been identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: upgrade to or beyond the fixed builds Microsoft published for each branch - Windows 10 21H2/22H2 to 10.0.19044.7807, Windows 11 23H2 to 10.0.22631.7652, 24H2 to 10.0.26100.9711, 25H2 to 10.0.26200.9711, 26H1 to 10.0.28000.3231, 26H2 to 10.0.26300.9711, Windows Server 2022 to 10.0.20348.5761, and Windows Server 2025/Server Core to 10.0.26100.33650, per https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96319 (ENISA EUVD-2026-99772). Where patching must be deferred, the only meaningful compensating control is to shrink the local attacker population, since the flaw is local-only (AV:L) and cannot be reached over the network: restrict interactive and RDP logon rights to trusted administrators, and on servers that do not require USB printing, disable or uninstall the USB Print Driver component (for example by removing the driver package with pnputil or disabling the print spooler/USB printing policy) - the trade-off is that legitimate USB-attached printing stops working and, if the spooler is disabled, other print workflows are affected too. Memory-integrity features such as HVCI and kernel pool hardening raise the bar against reclaiming the freed buffer but are not a substitute for the update, and because exploitation depends on a timing race, monitoring for unexpected driver crashes in the USB print path may provide secondary detection value. Note that the patch status is vendor-confirmed; no separate workaround from Microsoft is required once the fixed build is installed.

Affected VersionsENISA

Windows 10 Version 21H2 10.0.19044.0 <10.0.19044.7807
Windows 11 Version 26H2 10.0.26300.0 <10.0.26300.9711
Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.0 <10.0.20348.5761
Windows 11 Version 25H2 10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.9711
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows 11 Version 23H2 10.0.22631.0 <10.0.22631.7652
Windows 10 Version 22H2 10.0.19045.0 <10.0.19044.7807
Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows 11 Version 24H2 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.9711
Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 <10.0.28000.3231

Affected Packages

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_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 10 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 root cause is CWE-416, a use-after-free in a kernel-mode component of the Windows USB Print Driver. A driver object or buffer that is freed while still referenced can be reallocated by the attacker, producing a controllable memory-corruption primitive that, in kernel space, enables token theft or arbitrary code execution at SYSTEM integrity. The CVSS vector is AV:L/PR:L/AC:H/UI:N/S:U with High confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact, which matches the assessment that the attacker must already be logged on locally and must win a race/timing window to reclaim the freed kernel memory - the AC:H rating and the SSVC 'Automatable: no' designation both confirm the exploit is not reliably or repeatedly triggerable. The component is a print-path driver rather than a network service, so the attack surface is local; the accompanying tags (Use After Free, Memory Corruption, Denial Of Service, Microsoft) are consistent with a corrupted buffer that can also crash the system. Affected CPE families span Windows 10 21H2/22H2, Windows 11 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1 and 26H2, and Windows Server 2022 and 2025 (including Server Core), tracked under ENISA EUVD-2026-99772.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 7.0 HIGH
AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.0 HIGH

Local-only driver flaw (AV:L) requiring an already-authenticated user (PR:L) to win a use-after-free race (AC:H), yielding full kernel-level C/I/A impact.

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/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
High
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 7.0

DescriptionCVE.org

Use after free in Windows USB Print Driver allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Privilege escalation in the Windows USB Print Driver affects all supported Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server systems, letting an authenticated attacker who already holds a foothold escalate to SYSTEM-level control of the host. This amplifies the impact of any initial compromise by enabling credential theft, persistence, and lateral movement across the Windows estate. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, but the vendor patch is available and timely deployment is the decisive control.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 85% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
core Windows OS component across client and server 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

35
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +35
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.

Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.

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