Executive brief
Windows Media is a core Windows component that processes multimedia content. A use-after-free memory vulnerability allows an authorized local user to execute code with elevated privileges, potentially granting an attacker administrative control over the system.
Technical details
A use-after-free vulnerability exists in Windows Media, a memory safety issue where freed memory is accessed after deallocation. The vulnerability requires the attacker to be an authorized user on the local system. By exploiting this flaw, an attacker can execute arbitrary code in the context of the Windows Media process, leading to privilege escalation to SYSTEM or administrator level. No public exploit has been reported in the wild to date.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows Media
Timeline
- 2026-09-08: disclosed