Executive brief
A security vulnerability has been identified in the Windows Kernel, the core component of the Microsoft Windows operating system. 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
This vulnerability is classified as a Use-After-Free (CWE-416) within the Windows Kernel. An attacker with low-privileged local access can exploit this flaw to execute code in kernel mode, leading to a full local privilege escalation (LPE). The attack complexity is rated as high, suggesting that successful exploitation may rely on specific timing conditions or system states. Microsoft has released security updates to address this issue across multiple versions of Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2012.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows 10 Versions 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2
- Microsoft Windows 11 Versions 24H2, 25H2, 26H1
- Microsoft Windows Server 2012 All versions including Server Core
Timeline
- 2026-07-14: disclosed
- 2026-07-14: advisory