CVE-2026-50358

Windows Media Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Published Jul 14, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 7 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
Use after free in Windows Media allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Analysis

AI-generated

Technical impact

The vulnerability is a use‑after‑free flaw in the Windows Media component that lets an authorized local user gain higher privileges on the affected Windows system. The impact is the elevation of privileges, which could enable the user to perform actions normally restricted to administrators.

Affected Systems

Affected Windows operating systems include Windows 10 versions 1607, 1809, 21H2, and 22H2; Windows 11 versions 24H2, 25H2, and 26H1; and Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025, with both standard installations and Server Core variants.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 7 indicates high severity, and the EPSS score of less than 1% reflects a very low probability of exploitation in the real world. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog. It is exploitable only by an authorized local user who can trigger the Windows Media component, making the attack vector local and contingent on the user’s ability to run media files.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Apply the Microsoft security update for Windows Media available through the Microsoft Security Response Center’s update guide to eliminate the use‑after‑free flaw.
  • Restrict access to Windows Media Player or other media components via Group Policy, allowing only administrators to run them until the update is deployed.
  • Enforce least‑privilege policies across the environment, ensuring that non‑administrator accounts do not have permission to launch or manipulate media applications that rely on the vulnerable component.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on July 31, 2026 at 08:17 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Microsoft windows Server 2016 (server Core Installation)
Microsoft windows Server 2019 (server Core Installation)
Microsoft windows Server 2025 (server Core Installation)
Vendors & Products Microsoft windows Server 2016 (server Core Installation)
Microsoft windows Server 2019 (server Core Installation)
Microsoft windows Server 2025 (server Core Installation)
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

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

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Use after free in Windows Media allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Title Windows Media Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
First Time appeared Microsoft
Microsoft windows 10 1607
Microsoft windows 10 1809
Microsoft windows 10 21h2
Microsoft windows 10 22h2
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows 11 26h1
Microsoft windows Server 2016
Microsoft windows Server 2019
Microsoft windows Server 2022
Microsoft windows Server 2025
Weaknesses CWE-416
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1607:*:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:*:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
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_24H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_25H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_26H1:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2025:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Microsoft
Microsoft windows 10 1607
Microsoft windows 10 1809
Microsoft windows 10 21h2
Microsoft windows 10 22h2
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows 11 26h1
Microsoft windows Server 2016
Microsoft windows Server 2019
Microsoft windows Server 2022
Microsoft windows Server 2025
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C'}