CVE-2026-50687

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

Use After Free in Windows Kernel Allows Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-07-14

Last updated on: 2026-07-22

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Use after free in Windows Kernel allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-07-14

Last Modified

2026-07-22

Generated

2026-08-04

AI Q&A

2026-07-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-08-02

NVD

CVE-2026-50687

EUVD

EUVD-2026-44143

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.2269 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2025	to 10.0.26100.33158 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.2525 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.8875 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.8875 (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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.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

CVE-2026-50687 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Windows Kernel. This type of vulnerability occurs when a program continues to use a memory pointer after it has been freed, which can lead to unexpected behavior, crashes, or exploitation by attackers.

In this case, an authorized attacker with local access to the system can exploit this flaw to elevate their privileges. This means they could gain higher-level permissions on the system, potentially allowing them to execute arbitrary code or access sensitive data.

Impact Analysis

If you are using a system affected by CVE-2026-50687, the impact could be severe. Here are potential consequences:

An attacker with local access to your system could exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges, such as administrative or SYSTEM-level access.
With elevated privileges, the attacker could install malware, steal sensitive data, or take complete control of the affected system.
This could lead to data breaches, system compromise, or further attacks on other systems within your network.

The CVSS score of 8.8 (High) indicates that this vulnerability is serious and should be addressed promptly to mitigate risks.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could impact compliance with several common standards and regulations, depending on the context of your organization:

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): If the vulnerability leads to unauthorized access to personal data, it could result in a data breach. Under GDPR, organizations must implement appropriate security measures to protect personal data. Failure to patch this vulnerability could be seen as a violation of these requirements, potentially leading to fines or legal action.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): For organizations handling protected health information (PHI), this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive patient data. HIPAA requires covered entities to implement safeguards to protect PHI, and failing to address this vulnerability could result in non-compliance and penalties.
Other standards like ISO 27001, NIST, or PCI DSS also emphasize the importance of maintaining secure systems. A vulnerability like this, if left unpatched, could indicate a failure to meet the security controls required by these frameworks.

To maintain compliance, it is critical to apply security updates promptly and ensure that systems are protected against known vulnerabilities.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the security update provided by Microsoft to address CVE-2026-50687. The update can be found on the Microsoft Update Guide for this vulnerability.

Ensure that all systems running the affected Windows Kernel are patched as soon as possible to prevent potential privilege escalation attacks.

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