Local SYSTEM elevation via AFD type confusion
Published May 12, 2026 · Updated May 12, 2026
Type confusion in Microsoft's Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows local users to elevate privileges to SYSTEM. Microsoft has not disclosed which AFD resource is accessed under an incompatible type or how attacker-controlled input reaches that operation. Successful exploitation requires existing low-privilege local access and grants complete SYSTEM-level control of the affected host.
Summary
What happened
Type confusion in Microsoft's Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows local users to elevate privileges to SYSTEM. Microsoft has not disclosed which AFD resource is accessed under an incompatible type or how attacker-controlled input reaches that operation. Successful exploitation requires existing low-privilege local access and grants complete SYSTEM-level control of the affected host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-34344
- Published
- May 12, 2026
- Updated
- May 12, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2019
- Classifications
- CWE-843, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 12, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 12, 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=10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.8755
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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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