CVE-2026-85930

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Use After Free in Windows Image Acquisition Allows Local Privilege Escalation

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-13

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

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

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-13

Last Modified

2026-10-13

Generated

2026-10-14

AI Q&A

2026-10-14

EPSS Evaluated

N/A

NVD

CVE-2026-85930

EUVD

EUVD-2026-99628

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
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 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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a use after free vulnerability in Windows Image Acquisition. It allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally by exploiting a flaw where memory is accessed after it has been freed.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is a use-after-free issue in Windows Image Acquisition. Detection typically requires endpoint monitoring tools or security software that can identify abnormal memory access patterns or privilege escalation attempts in Windows services. No specific commands are provided in the available context.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could gain higher privileges on your system, allowing them to perform unauthorized actions like installing malware, accessing sensitive data, or taking control of your device.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Windows security updates from Microsoft to patch the use-after-free vulnerability in Windows Image Acquisition. Monitor Microsoft's security advisories for updates related to CVE-2026-85930 and ensure all affected systems are updated promptly.

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