Use After Free in Windows Win32K Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-09-08

Last updated on: 2026-09-24

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Use after free in Windows Win32K allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-09-08

Last Modified

2026-09-24

Generated

2026-09-29

AI Q&A

2026-09-09

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-27

NVD

CVE-2026-69274

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
microsoft	windows_server_2012	r2
microsoft	windows_10_1607	to 10.0.14393.9512 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_1607	to 10.0.14393.9512 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_1809	to 10.0.17763.9245 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_1809	to 10.0.17763.9245 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_21h2	to 10.0.19044.7725 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_21h2	to 10.0.19044.7725 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_21h2	to 10.0.19044.7725 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_22h2	to 10.0.19045.7725 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_22h2	to 10.0.19045.7725 (exc)
microsoft	windows_10_22h2	to 10.0.19045.7725 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_23h2	to 10.0.22631.7582 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_23h2	to 10.0.22631.7582 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.9445 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.9445 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.9445 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.9445 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.2954 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.2954 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2025	to 10.0.26100.33438 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2016	to 10.0.14393.9512 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2019	to 10.0.17763.9245 (exc)
microsoft	windows_server_2022	to 10.0.20348.5622 (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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.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 issue in Windows Win32K, a core component of the Windows operating system. An authorized attacker can exploit this flaw to elevate their privileges over a network, potentially gaining higher-level access to the system.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges on your system. This might let them install programs, view or delete data, or create new accounts with full user rights, even if they initially had limited access.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft to patch the Win32K vulnerability. Monitor Microsoft's security advisories for updates and ensure all systems are updated promptly.

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