Local privilege escalation via dangling memory reference
Published Jul 14, 2026 · Updated Jul 14, 2026
Use after free in Windows Brokering File System on affected Windows 11 and Server 2025 builds allows local users to elevate privileges. Microsoft identifies a freed-memory reference but does not disclose the affected object, file, function, or operation that reuses it. Exploitation requires existing low-privilege local access and grants elevated control within the same Windows security boundary.
Summary
What happened
Use after free in Windows Brokering File System on affected Windows 11 and Server 2025 builds allows local users to elevate privileges. Microsoft identifies a freed-memory reference but does not disclose the affected object, file, function, or operation that reuses it. Exploitation requires existing low-privilege local access and grants elevated control within the same Windows security boundary.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-50466
- Published
- Jul 14, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 14, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation)
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 14, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 14, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33158
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.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo