A numeric truncation flaw in the Microsoft Windows Search component allows an attacker with authorized local access to write insufficiently sized data into a larger buffer, which can be abused to gain higher right privileges. This vulnerability is limited to local attackers and does not enable remote exploitation; an attacker who already has some level of access on the host could elevate that access to an administrator on the affected Windows versions.

Microsoft Windows 10 versions 1607, 1809, 21H2, and 22H2; Windows 11 versions 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H2, and 26H1; and Windows Server 2012 (including Server Core), 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025, including their Server Core installations, are impacted across x86, x64, and ARM64 architectures.

The CVSS score of 7.8 indicates a high severity due to the potential for privilege escalation after successful exploitation. EPSS data is unavailable, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, so the real-world exploitation probability remains uncertain. Exploitation requires local authorized access and interaction with the Windows Search service; without that, the flaw cannot be leveraged. Microsoft has released a security update that fully mitigates the issue.