CVE-2026-83752

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Use After Free in Windows Installer Allows Local Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-16

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

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

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-2026-83752

EUVD

EUVD-2026-99979

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-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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.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 Windows Installer that allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally. Use after free means the software tries to use memory that has already been freed, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution with elevated permissions.

Detection Guidance

Detecting this vulnerability requires monitoring for unusual activity in Windows Installer processes. Check for crashes or hangs in msiexec.exe, review Windows Event Logs for installer-related errors, and monitor for unexpected privilege escalation events. Use tools like Process Explorer to inspect installer processes and ensure no unauthorized modifications occur.

Impact Analysis

An attacker with local access could exploit this to gain higher privileges on your system, potentially allowing them to install programs, view or delete data, or create new accounts with full user rights.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows local privilege escalation, which could enable unauthorized access to sensitive data or systems. This may violate compliance requirements for 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 to patch the Windows Installer use-after-free vulnerability. Monitor Microsoft's security advisories for updates and disable unnecessary services if possible.

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