CVE-2026-69635

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Heap-based Buffer Overflow in Windows Installer

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-16

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Installer allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges with a physical attack.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-13

Last Modified

2026-10-16

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-14

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-69635

EUVD

EUVD-2026-99896

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Microsoft	Windows	10 Version 1607 10.0.14393.0
Microsoft	Windows	10 Version 1809 10.0.17763.0
Microsoft	Windows	10 Version 21H2 10.0.19044.0
Microsoft	Windows	10 Version 22H2 10.0.19045.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 version 23H2 10.0.22631.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 Version 23H2 10.0.22631.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 Version 24H2 10.0.26100.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 Version 25H2 10.0.26200.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 Version 26H2 10.0.26300.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2012 6.2.9200.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2012 (Server Core installation) 6.2.9200.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) 6.3.9600.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2016 10.0.14393.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2016 (Server Core installation) 10.0.14393.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2019 10.0.17763.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2019 (Server Core installation) 10.0.17763.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2022 10.0.20348.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2025 10.0.26100.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-122	A heap overflow condition is a buffer overflow, where the buffer that can be overwritten is allocated in the heap portion of memory, generally meaning that the buffer was allocated using a routine such as malloc().

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Windows Installer. It allows an authorized attacker with physical access to a system to elevate their privileges by exploiting a flaw in memory handling during installation processes.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability requires physical access and involves a heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Installer. Detection may involve monitoring for unusual installer activity or privilege escalation attempts. Check Windows Event Logs for installer-related errors or unexpected privilege changes. Use system monitoring tools like Process Monitor to observe installer behavior.

Impact Analysis

An attacker with physical access could exploit this to gain higher privileges on your system, potentially allowing them to install malicious software, access sensitive data, or take control of the affected machine.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows privilege escalation via a physical attack, which could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data. Such access may violate compliance requirements under GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (health information security) by enabling unauthorized data exposure or modification.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Windows updates from Microsoft Update to patch the heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Installer. Ensure all systems listed in the CPEs are updated to the latest version.

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