CVE-2026-97816

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Use After Free in OpenSSH for Windows Allows Remote Code Execution

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-16

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Use after free in OpenSSH for Windows 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-2026-97816

EUVD

EUVD-2026-100418

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
microsoft	windows_server_2022	to 10.0.20348.5761 (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_10_22h2	to 10.0.19044.7807 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_22h2	to 10.0.19044.7807 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_22h2	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_2019	to 10.0.17763.9376 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2025	to 10.0.26100.33650 (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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.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 OpenSSH for Windows. It allows an unauthorized attacker to execute arbitrary code over a network by exploiting a memory management error.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could remotely execute malicious code on affected systems, potentially leading to full system compromise, data theft, or unauthorized access. Systems running vulnerable OpenSSH versions on Windows are at risk.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows remote code execution, which could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data. Such breaches may violate GDPR's data protection requirements and HIPAA's security rules for protected health information.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft for OpenSSH for Windows to patch the use-after-free vulnerability. Monitor Microsoft's security advisories for updates and ensure all affected Windows versions are updated.

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