Executive brief
A security vulnerability has been identified in the Windows Audio Compression Manager, a component responsible for managing audio codecs and data conversion. 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 view sensitive data, install malicious software, or disrupt business operations.
Technical details
A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Windows Audio Compression Manager (ACM) due to improper access control (CWE-284). The flaw allows a locally authenticated attacker with low privileges to execute code with elevated system permissions. Exploitation requires the attacker to run a specially crafted application on the target system. Successful exploitation grants the attacker full control over the affected host, including the ability to bypass existing security restrictions. Microsoft has released security updates to address this issue across various versions of Windows and Windows Server.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows 10 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2
- Microsoft Windows 11 24H2, 25H2, 26H1
- Microsoft Windows Server 2012 All versions
Timeline
- 2026-07-14: disclosed
- 2026-07-14: advisory