CVE-2026-88146

Undergoing Analysis Undergoing Analysis - In Progress

Race Condition in Windows BITS Elevates Privileges

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-16

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Concurrent execution using shared resource with improper synchronization ('race condition') in Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) 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-2026-88146

EUVD

EUVD-2026-99661

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
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 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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.
CWE-362	The product contains a concurrent code sequence that requires temporary, exclusive access to a shared resource, but a timing window exists in which the shared resource can be modified by another code sequence operating concurrently.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a race condition vulnerability in Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS). It occurs when improper synchronization allows concurrent execution using shared resources. An authorized attacker can exploit this to elevate their privileges locally on affected systems.

Impact Analysis

An attacker with local access could exploit this to gain higher privileges on your system. This might allow them to install programs, view or delete data, or create new accounts with full user rights. Systems running vulnerable Windows versions are at risk.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows local privilege escalation via a race condition in Windows BITS, which could enable unauthorized access to sensitive data or system functions. For GDPR, this may violate principles of data protection and integrity if exploited to access personal data. For HIPAA, it could compromise protected health information by granting unauthorized system access.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft to patch the BITS race condition vulnerability. Monitor Microsoft's update guide for specific patches and install them promptly.

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