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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DeliveryLaunch crafted process targeting audiosrv
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ExploitTrigger use-after-free via race condition
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ExecutionReclaim freed object with controlled 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 | Exploitation requires the attacker to already have local code-execution capability on the host under an authenticated low-privileged account (AV:L, PR:L) and to interact with the Windows Audio Service (audiosrv) to trigger the use-after-free in CWE-416. The primary limiting factor is high attack complexity (AC:H): the UAF likely depends on winning a race or achieving a specific allocation/free timing window, so exploitation is not reliably repeatable and may require multiple attempts. No user interaction is needed (UI:N) and no special non-default configuration is indicated - the Audio Service runs by default - but the local, authenticated prerequisite means this cannot be triggered remotely or pre-authentication. Affected hosts are unpatched builds below the fixed thresholds listed in EUVD (e.g., Windows 11 24H2 <10.0.26100.9711, Server 2022 <10.0.20348.5761, Server 2025 <10.0.26100.33650). |
| Impact | This is a moderate-priority local privilege escalation (CVSS 7.0, CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N) in the Windows Audio Service (audiosrv), a use-after-free (CWE-416) memory-corruption flaw. The signals are internally consistent and point to a real but not top-tier emergency: the local attack vector (AV:L) means the attacker must already be able to run code on the host, PR:L means an existing low-privileged/authenticated account is required, and AC:H indicates exploitation is non-trivial - characteristic of a UAF that must win a race or achieve a precise heap state, which materially lowers reliability. Offsetting this, the impact is full CIA compromise (C:H/I:H/A:H) because successful exploitation yields elevated (typically SYSTEM) privileges. There is NO EPSS score, NO CISA KEV listing, and NO evidence of a public POC in the provided data, so there is no indication of active or imminent widespread exploitation - no public exploit identified at time of analysis. Net assessment: a credible post-compromise escalation primitive that belongs in normal Patch-Tuesday remediation for Windows fleets rather than emergency out-of-band response, with its high complexity being the main brake on real-world weaponization. Note a minor metadata inconsistency: the input Tags include 'Denial Of Service' while the description and CVSS (C:H/I:H/A:H) describe privilege elevation - treat DoS as a secondary possible outcome of the memory corruption, not the primary impact. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who already has a low-privileged foothold on a Windows host (e.g., via phishing, a standard user account, or a compromised service) runs a crafted local program that interacts with the Windows Audio Service to trigger the use-after-free, winning a timing/heap race to reuse the freed object. Because AC:H, exploitation is not guaranteed on the first attempt and may require multiple tries, but success grants SYSTEM-level privileges. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, and no user interaction is required (UI:N). |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 14, 2026
Local privilege escalation in the Windows Audio Service (audiosrv) lets an authenticated, low-privileged attacker who already has code execution on a Windows host corrupt memory and elevate to a higher-integrity context. The flaw is a use-after-free (CWE-416) rated CVSS 7.0 (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H); the high attack-complexity value indicates the trigger likely depends on a race or a specific allocation/free timing window, making it unreliably repeatable rather than a one-shot exploit. Microsoft has published fixes through its update guide, and no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis; the CVE was not listed in CISA KEV as of this assessment, so there is no confirmation of active exploitation.
RemediationAI
Patch status: vendor-released fixes are available per Microsoft's advisory; apply the latest cumulative update for each affected build so the reported build number meets or exceeds the fixed thresholds (for example Windows 11 24H2 to 10.0.26100.9711 or later, Windows 11 23H2 to 10.0.22631.7652, 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 10 21H2/22H2 to 10.0.19044.7807, Windows 10 1809 and Server 2019 to 10.0.17763.9376, Server 2022 to 10.0.20348.5761, and Server 2025 to 10.0.26100.33650). Verification details and KB mappings are at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-70230. Because this is a local, post-authentication elevation, the strongest compensating control is reducing the population of low-privileged interactive users who can reach the service at all - restrict interactive logon and RDP access to trusted accounts, and remove unnecessary local admin rights so a successful elevation is less useful. Disabling the Windows Audio Service ('sc config audiosrv start= disabled' or setting it to Disabled in services.msc) does block the vulnerable code path, but the trade-off is total loss of audio on the host and potential breakage of dependent services such as AudioEndpointBuilder, so it is practical only on headless servers without audio requirements. Attacks require local code execution, so keeping EDR/antimalware coverage active and monitoring for privilege-escalation behavior from non-privileged processes remains worthwhile; there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis, which supports standard patch-cycle prioritization rather than emergency out-of-band deployment.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 13 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 affected component is the Windows Audio Service (audiosrv), the default-enabled service that manages audio endpoints and device enumeration on Windows client and server builds. The root cause is CWE-416 (Use After Free): a memory object is released while a reference to it remains reachable, so subsequent access dereferences freed memory. Because the service handles attacker-influenced audio data and I/O structures, a local caller under a normal user token (PR:L, AV:L) can attempt to reclaim the freed allocation with controlled contents and pivot to code execution in the service's higher-privileged context. The CVSS vector's AC:H (and the assessment note that the flaw probably requires a timing/race window) means success is not deterministic and may take repeated attempts, while UI:N confirms no victim interaction is needed beyond the service running in its default configuration. CPE/version data from the EUVD record ties affected hosts to specific Windows builds: Windows 11 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1 and 26H2; Windows 10 1809, 21H2 and 22H2; and Windows Server 2019 (including Server Core), Server 2022 and Server 2025 (including Server Core).
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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 UAF requiring an existing low-privileged account (AV:L, PR:L); race-dependent exploitation gives AC:H; successful escalation to SYSTEM yields full C:H/I:H/A:H.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Use after free in Windows Audio Service allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Executive ViewAI
A high-severity memory corruption flaw in the Windows Audio Service (audiosrv) allows an attacker who already holds a foothold on a Windows endpoint to escalate from a low-privileged account to higher-integrity/system-level access. Because the flaw requires pre-existing local code execution and its high attack complexity makes reliable triggering difficult, the primary concern is post-compromise escalation and lateral movement rather than mass exploitation. Leadership should care because any Windows host where an attacker has already landed - via phishing, a malicious download, or another foothold - becomes a stepping stone to full machine control, and Microsoft has released fixes that should be prioritized for privileged and internet-facing systems.
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
Use-after-free vulnerabilities occur when a program continues to access memory through a pointer after that memory has been deallocated.
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EUVD-2026-99874
GHSA-gv5h-6945-hgmx
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB