CVE-2026-70243

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Use-After-Free in Windows Kernel Allows Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-13

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Use after free in Windows Kernel allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-13

Last Modified

2026-10-13

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-14

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-70243

EUVD

EUVD-2026-99418

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Microsoft	Windows	11 version 23H2 10.0.22631.0
Microsoft	Windows	11 Version 23H2 10.0.22631.0
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-416	The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Windows Kernel. It allows an authorized attacker with local access to exploit a flaw where memory is freed but later accessed, potentially leading to privilege escalation.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to gain higher privileges on your system, allowing them to perform unauthorized actions like installing malware, accessing sensitive data, or taking control of your device.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows local privilege escalation in Windows systems, which could enable unauthorized access to sensitive data or system functions. Such unauthorized access may violate compliance requirements under GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (health information security) by exposing personal or protected health information.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Windows security updates from Microsoft Update to patch the Windows Kernel use-after-free vulnerability. Monitor Microsoft's security advisories for patches and install them promptly.

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