Description
Use after free in Windows Storage allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Published: 2026-10-13
Score: 7 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Local Privilege Escalation
Action: Apply Patch
AI Analysis

Impact

A use‑after‑free bug in Windows Storage allows an authorized local user to gain higher privileges, leading to potential system compromise. The flaw is identified as a race condition and use‑after‑free weakness (CWE-362, CWE-416). Attackers need only local access and legitimate authorization to exploit the vulnerability, and once exploited they can execute arbitrary code with elevated rights, modify system files, or install malware.

Affected Systems

Microsoft Windows 10 (versions 1809, 21H2, 22H2), Windows 11 (versions 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H2, 26H1), Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, and Windows Server 2025 on all supported architectures.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 7.0 indicates a medium severity. EPSS data is not available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Being a local privilege escalation, the attack requires authorized access; therefore, the risk is moderate yet significant because it enables full system compromise if local privileges are obtained.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on October 13, 2026 at 23:52 UTC.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Download and install the latest Windows security update for Storage components from Microsoft’s update guide at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-69856.
  • After installing the update, verify that all local accounts are assigned least privilege and that unnecessary local administrative rights are revoked.
  • Maintain a robust patch management policy to apply and test future security updates promptly, ensuring that similar vulnerabilities are mitigated before exploitation can occur.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on October 13, 2026 at 23:52 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

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History

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 20:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
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_11_26h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_26h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2025:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 21:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared 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 11 26h2
Microsoft windows Server 2019 (server Core Installation)
Microsoft windows Server 2025 (server Core Installation)
Vendors & Products 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 11 26h2
Microsoft windows Server 2019 (server Core Installation)
Microsoft windows Server 2025 (server Core Installation)

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

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

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 19:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Use after free in Windows Storage allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Title Windows Storage Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
First Time appeared Microsoft
Microsoft windows 10 1809
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 11 Version 26h2 For Arm64-based Systems
Microsoft windows Server 2019
Microsoft windows Server 2022
Microsoft windows Server 2025
Weaknesses CWE-362
CWE-416
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:windows_11_version_26h2_for_arm64-based_systems:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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_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:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
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 1809
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 11 Version 26h2 For Arm64-based Systems
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'}

Subscriptions

Microsoft Windows 10 1809 Windows 10 21h2 Windows 10 21h2 Windows 10 22h2 Windows 10 22h2 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 11 26h2 Windows 11 Version 26h2 For Arm64-based Systems Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2019 (server Core Installation) Windows Server 2022 Windows Server 2025 Windows Server 2025 (server Core Installation)
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: microsoft

Published:

Updated: 2026-10-31T18:07:39.407Z

Reserved: 2026-08-03T22:51:46.191Z

Link: CVE-2026-69856

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2026-10-13T21:07:25.251Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2026-10-13T19:19:00.433

Modified: 2026-10-26T20:16:46.733

Link: CVE-2026-69856

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-10-17T21:30:06Z

Weaknesses
  • CWE-362

    Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')

  • CWE-416

    Use After Free