Executive brief
A security vulnerability exists in Windows Management Services, a core component of the Windows operating system used for managing system settings and data. An attacker who already has basic access to a computer could exploit this flaw to gain full administrative control over the system. This could allow them to steal sensitive data, install malicious software, or disrupt business operations.
Technical details
A race condition (CWE-362) and associated use-after-free (CWE-416) vulnerability exist within Windows Management Services due to improper synchronization during concurrent execution using shared resources. The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to have prior authenticated access to the system with low privileges. By successfully exploiting the timing of resource access, an attacker can achieve local privilege escalation (LPE). The vulnerability has a high complexity (AC:H) but can result in a full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability across security boundaries. Microsoft has released security updates to address this issue across affected Windows and Windows Server versions.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows 10 1809, 21H2, 22H2
- Microsoft Windows 11 22H3, 23H2, 24H2, 25H2
- Microsoft Windows Server 2019 All versions
- Microsoft Windows Server 2022 All versions
Timeline
- 2026-01-13: disclosed
- 2026-01-13: advisory