Executive brief
A security vulnerability has been identified in the Windows NTFS file system, which is the primary system used by Windows to store and retrieve files on hard drives. 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 heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-122) exists in the Microsoft Windows NTFS driver. The flaw is triggered when the system improperly handles specific file system operations, leading to memory corruption. An attacker with low-privileged local access can exploit this to execute code with SYSTEM privileges. The attack requires no user interaction and has a low complexity. Microsoft has released security updates to address this issue across affected 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 editions including Server Core
Timeline
- 2026-07-14: advisory: Initial advisory published by Microsoft and NVD
- 2026-07-14: patched: Security updates made available via Microsoft Update Guide