Executive brief
A security vulnerability has been identified in the Windows Win32K component, which handles graphics and window management. 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 install programs, view or delete sensitive data, or create new accounts with full user rights.
Technical details
This vulnerability is a heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122) located within the Win32K kernel-mode driver in Microsoft Windows. The flaw is triggered when the component improperly handles objects in memory, allowing an attacker with low-privileged local access to overwrite adjacent memory space. By successfully exploiting this overflow, an attacker can execute arbitrary code in kernel mode, leading to a full local privilege escalation (LPE) to SYSTEM. The attack requires local authentication but no user interaction. Microsoft has released security updates to address this issue across affected Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server versions.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows 10 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2
- Microsoft Windows 11 24H2, 25H2, 26H1
- Microsoft Windows Server 2016 All versions
Timeline
- 2026-07-14: disclosed: Initial publication by Microsoft and NVD.
- 2026-07-14: advisory