CVE-2026-85371

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Use After Free in Network Policy Server Allows Code Execution

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-16

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Use after free in Network Policy Server (NPS) allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
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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-2026-85371

EUVD

EUVD-2026-99496

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
microsoft	windows_server_2012	r2
microsoft	windows_server_2012	*
microsoft	windows_10_1607	to 10.0.14393.9612 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_1607	to 10.0.14393.9612 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_1809	to 10.0.17763.9376 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_1809	to 10.0.17763.9376 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_21h2	to 10.0.19044.7807 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_21h2	to 10.0.19044.7807 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_21h2	to 10.0.19044.7807 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_23h2	to 10.0.22631.7652 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_23h2	to 10.0.22631.7652 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.9711 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.9711 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.9711 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.9711 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.3231 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.3231 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h2	to 10.0.26300.9711 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h2	to 10.0.26300.9711 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2016	to 10.0.14393.9612 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2019	to 10.0.17763.9376 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2025	to 10.0.26100.33650 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2022	to 10.0.20348.5761 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_22h2	to 10.0.19045.7807 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_22h2	to 10.0.19045.7807 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_22h2	to 10.0.19045.7807 (exc)

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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.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 vulnerability is a use-after-free flaw in the Network Policy Server (NPS) component of Microsoft Windows. It allows an unauthorized attacker to execute arbitrary code remotely over a network by exploiting memory corruption after a memory location has been freed but is still accessed.

Detection Guidance

Detection requires monitoring for unusual network activity or crashes in Network Policy Server (NPS). Check Windows Event Logs for application crashes related to NPS or network-related errors. Use tools like Windows Defender ATP or Microsoft Sentinel for behavioral analysis.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to run malicious code on your system, potentially gaining control over it. This could lead to data theft, installation of malware, or disruption of services if you are running an affected Windows version with NPS enabled.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows remote code execution via a use-after-free flaw in Network Policy Server (NPS). Such vulnerabilities can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, or system compromise, which may violate compliance requirements under GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (health data security) by exposing sensitive information or disrupting critical services.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft for affected Windows versions and Network Policy Server (NPS) components to patch the use-after-free vulnerability.

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