Description
Null pointer dereference in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Published: 2026-03-10
Score: 7.8 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Privilege Escalation
Action: Immediate Patch
AI Analysis

Impact

A null pointer dereference in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows an authorized local user to gain elevated privileges, enabling the execution of code with higher rights, installation of malicious software, alteration of system settings, or other compromise of the machine; the weakness corresponds to CWE‑476.

Affected Systems

The flaw affects Microsoft Windows 10 releases 21H2 and 22H2, Windows 11 releases 22H3, 23H2, 24H2, 25H2 and 26H1, as well as Microsoft Windows Server 2022 (including the 23H2 edition and Server Core installation) and Windows Server 2025 (including the Server Core installation), across all supported processor architectures—x86, x64, and arm64.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 7.8 places the flaw in the high severity range, yet the EPSS score of less than 1 % indicates it is currently unlikely to be widely exploited; it is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Attackers must first obtain local authentication or run an application with user privileges; once the null pointer fault in the driver is triggered, they can obtain elevated privileges and potentially take full control of the system.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on March 28, 2026 at 06:39 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Apply the official Microsoft security update for CVE‑2026‑24293 through Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog.
  • Verify that all affected systems—Windows 10 21H2/22H2, Windows 11 22H3/23H2/24H2/25H2/26H1, Windows Server 2022 and 2025 editions—have installed the update.
  • If the update is not yet available, isolate the vulnerable systems from the network while awaiting the patch and monitor for any interim security guidance from Microsoft.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on March 28, 2026 at 06:39 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 03:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_26H1:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 19:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Microsoft windows Server 2022 23h2
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_21h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_21h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_21h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_22h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_22h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_22h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_23h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_23h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_24h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_24h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_25h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_25h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_26h1:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_26h1:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022_23h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2025:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
Vendors & Products Microsoft windows Server 2022 23h2

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Microsoft windows 10 21h2
Microsoft windows 10 22h2
Microsoft windows 11 22h3
Microsoft windows 11 23h2
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows 11 26h1
Microsoft windows Server 2022, 23h2 Edition (server Core Installation)
Microsoft windows Server 2025 (server Core Installation)
Vendors & Products Microsoft windows 10 21h2
Microsoft windows 10 22h2
Microsoft windows 11 22h3
Microsoft windows 11 23h2
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows 11 26h1
Microsoft windows Server 2022, 23h2 Edition (server Core Installation)
Microsoft windows Server 2025 (server Core Installation)

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 19:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Null pointer dereference in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Title Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
First Time appeared Microsoft
Microsoft windows 10 21h2
Microsoft windows 10 22h2
Microsoft windows 11 23h2
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows 11 26h1
Microsoft windows Server 2022
Microsoft windows Server 2025
Microsoft windows Server 23h2
Weaknesses CWE-476
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_21H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_22H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_23H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_23H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_24H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_25H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_26H1:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_26H1:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2025:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_23h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Microsoft
Microsoft windows 10 21h2
Microsoft windows 10 22h2
Microsoft windows 11 23h2
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows 11 26h1
Microsoft windows Server 2022
Microsoft windows Server 2025
Microsoft windows Server 23h2
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C'}

Subscriptions

Microsoft Windows 10 21h2 Windows 10 21h2 Windows 10 22h2 Windows 10 22h2 Windows 11 22h3 Windows 11 23h2 Windows 11 23h2 Windows 11 24h2 Windows 11 24h2 Windows 11 25h2 Windows 11 25h2 Windows 11 26h1 Windows 11 26h1 Windows Server 2022 Windows Server 2022, 23h2 Edition (server Core Installation) Windows Server 2022 23h2 Windows Server 2025 Windows Server 2025 (server Core Installation) Windows Server 23h2
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: microsoft

Published:

Updated: 2026-03-27T22:32:33.264Z

Reserved: 2026-01-21T21:28:02.968Z

Link: CVE-2026-24293

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-03-10T18:40:04.682Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2026-03-10T18:18:20.317

Modified: 2026-03-13T19:00:51.493

Link: CVE-2026-24293

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-03-29T20:26:26Z

Weaknesses