Privilege escalation via registry subkey use-after-free
Published Mar 12, 2024 · Updated May 3, 2025
Use-after-free in the Windows Kernel in affected Windows 10 and Server builds allows local users to gain elevated privileges. CmpAddSubKeyEx fails to update a hive subkey-list cell index when CmpAddSubKeyToList reallocates the cell and then returns an error, leaving a dangling reference. Low-privileged local access is required, and successful exploitation grants control at elevated privilege without user interaction.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Windows Kernel in affected Windows 10 and Server builds allows local users to gain elevated privileges. CmpAddSubKeyEx fails to update a hive subkey-list cell index when CmpAddSubKeyToList reallocates the cell and then returns an error, leaving a dangling reference. Low-privileged local access is required, and successful exploitation grants control at elevated privilege without user interaction.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-26182
- Published
- Mar 12, 2024
- Updated
- May 3, 2025
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2019
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 12, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.5576
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Public exploit references
- Windows Kernel Subkey List Use-After-Free Proof of Conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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