Description
Use after free in Windows Win32K allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Published: 2026-09-08
Score: 7 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Local privilege escalation via Win32K use‑after‑free
Action: Apply Patch
AI Analysis

Impact

A use‑after‑free flaw in the Windows Win32K graphics subsystem allows an attacker who has local execution privileges to trigger memory corruption. The vulnerability can be leveraged to gain elevated local privileges, potentially granting access to protected resources and enabling execution of arbitrary code within the system context. The weakness is classified as CWE‑416, an improper use of a freed object.

Affected Systems

Microsoft Windows 11 releases 24H2, 25H2, and 26H1, as well as Microsoft Windows Server 2025 (including Server Core) are affected. The vulnerability is present in the Win32K component of these operating systems and applies to the specified build versions. There is no information on earlier or later versions.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 7.0 indicates a high severity, while no EPSS data is available and the issue is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. The flaw requires an attacker with local access and the ability to trigger the use‑after‑free condition, such as via a malicious executable or crafted user interface input. Once triggered, the attacker can achieve local privilege escalation, raising the risk of additional lateral movement or further compromise.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on September 9, 2026 at 00:19 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Install the official Microsoft patch that addresses CVE-2026-69818
  • Limit local user privileges to the minimum required for their job functions
  • Use Windows Defender Exploit Protection or similar tools to mitigate exploitation attempts

Generated by OpenCVE AI on September 9, 2026 at 00:19 UTC.

Tracking

Sign in to view the affected projects.

Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs 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_2025:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 21:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows 11 26h1
Microsoft windows Server 2025 (server Core Installation)
Vendors & Products Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows 11 26h1
Microsoft windows Server 2025 (server Core Installation)

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

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


Tue, 08 Sep 2026 17:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Use after free in Windows Win32K allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Title Windows Win32k Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
First Time appeared Microsoft
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows 11 26h1
Microsoft windows Server 2025
Weaknesses CWE-416
CPEs 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_2025:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Microsoft
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows 11 26h1
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'}


Subscriptions

Microsoft Windows 11 24h2 Windows 11 24h2 Windows 11 25h2 Windows 11 25h2 Windows 11 26h1 Windows 11 26h1 Windows Server 2025 Windows Server 2025 (server Core Installation)
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: microsoft

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-25T21:36:29.985Z

Reserved: 2026-08-03T22:50:31.851Z

Link: CVE-2026-69818

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-09-09T09:55:52.787Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2026-09-08T18:19:53.443

Modified: 2026-09-16T21:25:31.897

Link: CVE-2026-69818

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-09-10T20:55:55Z

Weaknesses