Executive brief
Windows Biometric Service is a core Windows system component responsible for fingerprint and facial recognition authentication. A heap-based buffer overflow in this service allows an authenticated local user to execute code with elevated privileges, potentially gaining full control of the system.
Technical details
A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the Windows Biometric Service when processing biometric input data. The vulnerability requires an authenticated local attacker with user-level privileges to exploit. By providing specially crafted biometric data or parameters to the service, an attacker can overflow a heap buffer and achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the LocalSystem account, leading to complete privilege escalation. Microsoft has released security patches to address this issue.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows Biometric Service
Timeline
- 2026-09-08: disclosed