CVE-2026-85936
Undergoing Analysis Undergoing Analysis - In Progress

Double Free in Windows Shell Allows Remote Code Execution

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-17

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description
Double free in Windows Shell allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-13
Last Modified
2026-10-17
Generated
2026-10-19
AI Q&A
2026-10-14
EPSS Evaluated
2026-10-18
NVD
CVE-2026-85936
EUVD
EUVD-2026-99634

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 21 associated CPEs
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
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-415 The product calls free() twice on the same memory address.
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().

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Executive Summary

This is a double free vulnerability in Windows Shell. It allows an unauthorized attacker to execute arbitrary code remotely over a network. Double free occurs when a program frees the same memory block twice, potentially leading to memory corruption and code execution.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to run malicious code on your system without authentication. This could lead to data theft, system compromise, installation of malware, or unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft as soon as possible to patch the double free vulnerability in Windows Shell. Monitor Microsoft's update guide for the specific patch release.

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