Executive brief
A critical vulnerability exists in the Windows TCP/IP stack, the core component responsible for handling network communications. An unauthorized attacker could exploit this flaw to remotely execute malicious code on a target system over the network. This could lead to a complete system takeover, data theft, or significant operational disruption without requiring any user interaction.
Technical details
A use-after-free (UAF) vulnerability exists within the Microsoft Windows TCP/IP stack (CWE-416). The flaw is reachable over the network and does not require administrative privileges or user interaction, though the CVSS vector indicates high attack complexity, suggesting specific timing or network conditions are necessary for successful exploitation. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could achieve remote code execution (RCE) in the context of the kernel. Microsoft has released security updates to address this issue; users are advised to apply the latest cumulative updates for their version of Windows.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows
Timeline
- 2026-05-12: disclosed
- 2026-05-12: advisory