Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privileged local access
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DeliveryCraft malicious NTFS metadata/structure
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ExploitTrigger out-of-bounds read in NTFS driver
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ExecutionCorrupt kernel memory control flow
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ImpactExecute arbitrary code locally
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, read limits
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Collection 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 hold a low-privileged but authenticated local session on the affected Windows system (PR:L, AV:L) - there is no remote or network path and no second-user interaction is needed (UI:N). The trigger is processing of attacker-influenced NTFS on-disk structures/metadata by the NTFS driver, so the attacker needs the ability to run code or mount/present a crafted NTFS volume on the host. Limiting factors: the local-only vector means this is a privilege-escalation/post-exploitation bug, not an initial-access flaw, and it is bounded to the broad but specific build ranges listed for Windows 10 (1607-22H2), Windows 11 (23H2-26H2), and Windows Server 2012 through 2025 below their respective patched builds; systems already updated to the fixed builds are not affected. |
| Impact | This is a credible but not emergency-tier priority. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N) confirms a local attack vector requiring low-level privileges (PR:L), so exploitation is not remote and the attacker must already have authenticated access to the target host - this materially caps the threat compared to a network-reachable flaw. The high impact metrics (C:H/I:H/A:H) and the description's 'execute code locally' outcome mean a successful exploit yields full local code execution, making this a classic privilege-escalation / post-compromise building block rather than an initial access vector. No EPSS score, KEV listing, or POC was provided in the input, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation; the real-world urgency therefore rests on CVSS alone. Note a minor tension in the metadata: the vulnerability is a CWE-125 out-of-bounds READ (an information-disclosure primitive), yet the description and C:H/I:H/A:H claim full code execution - this is plausible for NTFS kernel-mode parsing bugs where a read primitive is chained into control-flow corruption, but the exact mechanism is not detailed by the vendor. Given the ubiquity of Windows and the typical use of such local EoP bugs in exploit chains, patch on a normal-to-prompt cycle rather than treating it as a drop-everything issue. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who already has a low-privileged authenticated session on a Windows host (e.g., via phishing, a compromised service account, or an initial foothold) runs a crafted program or places a malicious NTFS structure that triggers the out-of-bounds read in the NTFS driver. By controlling the out-of-bounds memory access, the attacker escalates to code execution in the local security context. No public exploit code was identified at time of analysis, and no user interaction by a second party is required (UI:N). |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026
An out-of-bounds read in the Windows NTFS file system driver allows a locally authenticated attacker holding a low-privileged session to execute code with elevated privileges on the affected host. The flaw is triggered when NTFS processes attacker-influenced on-disk structures or volume metadata, giving a crafted or tampered NTFS volume a path to corrupt driver state within kernel context. Impact is rated 7.8 (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), and because the vector is local-only with PR:L this is a privilege-escalation and post-exploitation primitive rather than an initial-access vector; no public exploit code and no confirmed active exploitation were identified at time of analysis. A vendor fix is available, and systems patched to the builds listed by Microsoft are not affected.
RemediationAI
Apply the Microsoft cumulative security update that raises each affected branch to or above its fixed build, as documented in the MSRC advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96867: Windows 10 1607 and Windows Server 2016 to 10.0.14393.9612; Windows 10 1809 and Windows Server 2019 to 10.0.17763.9376; Windows 10 21H2 and 22H2 to 10.0.19044.7807; Windows 11 23H2 to 10.0.22631.7652; Windows 11 24H2 to 10.0.26100.9711; Windows Server 2025 to 10.0.26100.33650; Windows 11 25H2 to 10.0.26200.9711; Windows 11 26H2 to 10.0.26300.9711; Windows 11 26H1 to 10.0.28000.3231; Windows Server 2012 to 6.2.9200.26434; and Windows Server 2012 R2 to 6.3.9600.23470. Because exploitation requires an existing low-privileged local session plus the ability to present or modify NTFS metadata to the driver, compensating controls that reduce the attack surface while patching is staged include disabling automatic mounting of newly attached volumes (mountvol /N, or the corresponding registry policy) and restricting who can attach removable or virtual disks - the trade-off is that legitimate USB and SAN volume onboarding requires manual assignment, and any already-mapped hostile volume remains reachable. Additional hardening such as blocking non-administrative mount rights, prohibiting low-privileged users from running raw volume or disk-imaging utilities, and enforcing BitLocker with pre-boot authentication limits an attacker's ability to supply a crafted NTFS image, at the cost of added operational overhead and potential driver compatibility issues with third-party file system filters. The most durable mitigation remains installing the cumulative update, since unpatched builds will continue to parse untrusted on-disk metadata in kernel context.
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
NTFS is the Windows kernel-mode file system driver responsible for parsing on-disk metadata - the master file table ($MFT), file records, attribute headers, runlists, and index structures - when a volume is mounted or accessed. CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) in this context means the driver consumes a length, offset, or count field from a structure without adequately validating it against the bounds of the containing buffer, causing reads past the end of an allocated region while handling a crafted or modified NTFS volume. Out-of-bounds reads in kernel file system parsers are dangerous because the resulting malformed data can influence control flow or pointer arithmetic in a privileged context, which is why the assessed impact includes high confidentiality, integrity, and availability ratings despite the classification. The CPE and EUVD version data scope the issue to the NTFS component shipped with Windows 10 (1607 through 22H2), Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, and 26H2), and Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025, including Server Core installations, so the vulnerable code is shared broadly across the Windows servicing branches rather than confined to a single SKU.
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Severity by source
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Local privilege-escalation bug requiring an existing low-privileged session (AV:L, PR:L), no interaction (UI:N), yielding full local code execution (C:H/I:H/A:H), scope unchanged.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Out-of-bounds read in Windows NTFS allows an authorized attacker to execute code locally.
Executive ViewAI
A high-severity privilege escalation vulnerability in the Windows NTFS file system driver (CVE-2026-96867) allows an authenticated local attacker with low privileges to execute code in kernel context, potentially gaining full control of affected systems. Although no public exploit code or active exploitation has been identified, organizations running unpatched Windows systems face significant risk from insider threats or attackers who already have a foothold. Leadership should prioritize patching because successful exploitation could lead to data theft, ransomware deployment, or lateral movement within the network.
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
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EUVD-2026-99788
GHSA-r822-8pmh-jx43
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB