Local privilege escalation via kernel use-after-free
Published Mar 10, 2026 · Updated Mar 10, 2026
Use-after-free in Microsoft Windows Kernel allows local users to elevate privileges on affected Windows systems through local code execution. Microsoft identifies the locus only as the Windows Kernel and has not disclosed the freed object, lifetime error, or triggering operation. A low-privilege user must already be able to execute code locally; successful exploitation grants elevated privileges with control over protected system resources.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Microsoft Windows Kernel allows local users to elevate privileges on affected Windows systems through local code execution. Microsoft identifies the locus only as the Windows Kernel and has not disclosed the freed object, lifetime error, or triggering operation. A low-privilege user must already be able to execute code locally; successful exploitation grants elevated privileges with control over protected system resources.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-26132
- Published
- Mar 10, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 10, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation)
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 10, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 10, 2026Record 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=10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.32522
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
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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