Quick answers
- Is CVE-2026-85842 exploited in the wild?
- No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-85842 being exploited in the wild.
- How severe is CVE-2026-85842?
- High severity, with a CVSS score of 7.8, published 13 October 2026.
- Which products and versions are affected?
- Microsoft Windows Image Acquisition.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-85842?
- No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
- How is CVE-2026-85842 attacked?
- It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.
- Am I affected by CVE-2026-85842?
- Check whether you run Microsoft Windows Image Acquisition. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.
Technical details
The vulnerability is a format string flaw in Windows Image Acquisition that can be exploited by an authenticated local attacker to elevate privileges. The issue requires local access and existing authorization on the system. A successful exploit grants the attacker higher privilege levels.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows Image Acquisition
Timeline
- 2026-10-13: disclosed