CVE-2026-26166
Received Received - Intake
Double Free in Windows Shell Enables Local Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-04-14

Last updated on: 2026-04-24

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description
Double free in Windows Shell allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-04-14
Last Modified
2026-04-24
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-04-14
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-14
NVD
CVE-2026-26166
EUVD
EUVD-2026-22394
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 11 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
microsoft windows_11_23h2 to 10.0.22631.6936 (exc)
microsoft windows_11_23h2 to 10.0.22631.6936 (exc)
microsoft windows_11_24h2 to 10.0.26100.8246 (exc)
microsoft windows_11_24h2 to 10.0.26100.8246 (exc)
microsoft windows_11_25h2 to 10.0.26200.8246 (exc)
microsoft windows_11_25h2 to 10.0.26200.8246 (exc)
microsoft windows_11_26h1 to 10.0.28000.1836 (exc)
microsoft windows_11_26h1 to 10.0.28000.1836 (exc)
microsoft windows_server_2022 to 10.0.20348.5020 (exc)
microsoft windows_server_2022_23h2 to 10.0.25398.2274 (exc)
microsoft windows_server_2025 to 10.0.26100.32690 (exc)
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.
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a double free issue in the Windows Shell component. It allows an authorized attacker to perform a local privilege escalation by exploiting the double free condition.

Impact Analysis

The impact of this vulnerability is that an attacker with some level of access to the system can elevate their privileges to a higher level, potentially gaining full control over the affected system.

Mitigation Strategies

The vulnerability is a double free in Windows Shell that allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to apply the security updates provided by Microsoft as soon as possible.

Compliance Impact

The vulnerability allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally through a double free in Windows Shell.

Such elevation of privilege vulnerabilities can potentially lead to unauthorized access or modification of sensitive data, which may impact compliance with standards like GDPR and HIPAA that require strict access controls and protection of personal and health information.

However, no specific information is provided about direct compliance impacts or mitigation measures related to these regulations.

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