The vulnerability originates from a use‑after‑free condition in the Mailslot file system component. An authorized local user can send specially crafted mailslot requests that trigger the freed memory to be accessed, enabling the attacker to gain elevated system privileges. This stability flaw falls under CWE‑416 and grants the attacker significant control over the affected machine.

The flaw affects a broad range of Microsoft operating systems. Desktop releases include Windows 10 from version 1607 through 22H2 and Windows 11 from 23H2 to 26H1 (including 22H3). Server editions impacted are Windows Server 2012 (standard and core), 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025, and the 23H2 edition. All 32‑bit and 64‑bit builds where the Mailslot subsystem is present are vulnerable.

The severity score is 7.0, placing the vulnerability in the medium‑to‑high range. The EPSS of less than 1 % suggests exploitation is currently unlikely, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. The attack vector is local; an authorized user must have the ability to interact with the Mailslot component. Based on the description, it is inferred that having administrative privileges or elevated rights may be required, though this is not explicitly stated in the CVE data. The use‑after‑free can be triggered by a crafted mailslot request, potentially allowing the adversary to gain system‑level control.