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Windows 11 EUVDEUVD-2026-99774

| CVE-2026-96849 MEDIUM
Use of Uninitialized Resource (CWE-908)
2026-10-13 secure@microsoft.com GHSA-wx66-6c6f-2wv9
5.5
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: microsoft
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privileged local session
  2. Exploit
    Invoke vulnerable kernel-mode driver interface
  3. Execution
    Read uninitialized kernel memory
  4. Impact
    Harvest leaked kernel data/addresses

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Variable initialization
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires an attacker to already possess a local, authenticated low-privilege session on the affected host (AV:L/PR:L) and to interact directly with the vulnerable Windows kernel-mode driver interface; no user interaction by a victim is needed (UI:N). The flaw affects Windows 11 version 26H1 builds from 10.0.28000.0 up to (but not including) the fixed 10.0.28000.3231. Limiting factors: there is no remote vector, an attacker foothold with existing privileges is mandatory, impact is confined to information disclosure (no code execution or modification), and the leaked data is uninitialized kernel memory whose usefulness depends on what residual content happens to be present - making reliable, targeted extraction non-trivial.

Impact

This is a moderate-severity local information disclosure issue that signals should NOT be over-prioritized despite affecting a ubiquitous platform. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N, base 5.5) is internally consistent: exploitation requires local access and existing low-level privileges (PR:L, i.e. an authenticated foothold), with only confidentiality impacted (C:H, no integrity or availability effect). All three real-world exploitation signals agree and are LOW: CISA SSVC reports Exploitation=none, Automatable=no, and Technical Impact=partial, which aligns with the local, privilege-required nature. There is no CISA KEV listing and no public proof-of-concept. EPSS was not provided in the input, so probabilistic exploitation likelihood cannot be quantified. The signals do not conflict - a CWE-908 uninitialized-resource leak in kernel-mode drivers typically yields fragments of kernel memory (useful mainly as a building block, e.g. for KASLR bypass, rather than a standalone compromise). Net: a legitimate patch-management item, but a low operational priority relative to remote or unauthenticated flaws; it matters most as an aid to local privilege-escalation chains.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who already has a low-privileged authenticated session on a Windows 11 host runs a crafted program that invokes the affected kernel-mode driver interface, causing it to return uninitialized kernel memory. The leaked bytes expose kernel addresses or residual data useful for defeating ASLR or as a stepping stone in a local privilege-escalation chain. No public exploit code is identified at time of analysis, and exploitation requires local access plus existing privileges (AV:L/PR:L).

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.4% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026

Information disclosure in Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers on Windows 11 version 26H1 (builds 10.0.28000.0 and later, up to but not including 10.0.28000.3231) lets an authorized attacker who already holds a local low-privilege session read uninitialized kernel memory through a driver interface. The exposure is confined to confidentiality (C:H/I:N/A:N) with no code execution or modification primitive, and the attacker must already be logged on locally, so the issue is a moderate-severity leak rather than a privilege-escalation or remote attack path. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis, the CISA SSVC assessment records exploitation as none and automatable as no, and Microsoft has published a fix in its update guide.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: update Windows 11 version 26H1 to build 10.0.28000.3231 or later via the Microsoft Security Update Guide entry for CVE-2026-96849 at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96849, which supersedes builds 10.0.28000.0 through 10.0.28000.3230; this is the only complete fix, since the defect is in kernel-mode driver code and cannot be corrected by configuration. Because exploitation requires an attacker to already hold a local low-privilege session (AV:L/PR:L) and there is no remote or unauthenticated vector, the practical interim controls are all about shrinking the population of users who can sit on the box: remove standard users from interactive or Remote Desktop access to the affected hosts and require separate administrative accounts for workstation logon, which limits exposure but has a real operational cost for shared or kiosk systems that need multiple interactive users. Where the vulnerable interface can be reached through a specific device or service, disabling or access-restricting that component reduces the attack surface, with the trade-off that dependent functionality stops working and the exact reachable interface is not identified in the supplied data, so this should be validated against the vendor advisory before deployment. Standard hardening such as Credential Guard, LSA protection, and minimizing cached credentials lowers the value of any successfully leaked uninitialized kernel memory but does not close the flaw. Prioritize patching on multi-user endpoints and hosts where low-privilege users are routinely logged on, monitor for anomalous reads of driver interfaces by non-privileged processes, and note that because exploitation is assessed as not automatable, broad emergency change windows are not warranted.

Affected VersionsENISA

Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 <10.0.28000.3231

Affected Packages

euvd windows_11_version_26h1 fix: 10.0.28000.3231

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package 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-908, use of an uninitialized resource, in Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers. A driver allocated a buffer or object but returned or copied it to a caller without first initializing every field, so residual heap or pool contents from prior kernel allocations can be exposed to a low-privilege local caller that reaches the affected interface. This is the classic kernel memory-disclosure class used to defeat kernel address-space layout randomization, leak pool pointers and object addresses, or harvest residual secrets such as credential material or token data, which is why Microsoft rates confidentiality impact High even though integrity and availability are unaffected. The CVSS vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N confirms the prerequisites: local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), an attacker who is already authenticated with low privileges (PR:L), and no victim interaction (UI:N), with scope unchanged because the leaked data does not grant the driver additional authority by itself. The practical value of any given leak depends on what residual content happens to occupy the uninitialized region, so reliable, targeted extraction is not guaranteed even where the bug is reachable.

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 5.5 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
vuln.today AI 5.5 MEDIUM

Local-only kernel driver flaw requiring an existing low-privilege session (AV:L, PR:L); straightforward trigger (AC:L); confidentiality-only kernel memory leak (C:H, I:N, A:N).

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/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
None
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Oct 13, 2026 - 20:20 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 13, 2026 - 19:21 cve.org
MEDIUM 5.5

DescriptionCVE.org

Use of uninitialized resource in Windows Kernel-Mode Drivers allows an authorized attacker to disclose information locally.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.4%
Top 68% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Windows 11 kernel component; present on a huge fraction of endpoints
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 MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.4%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
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· derived
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

28
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +28
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

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