Local privilege escalation via heap buffer overflow
Published Sep 8, 2026 · Updated Sep 10, 2026
A heap-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Windows Biometric Service allows local users on affected Windows builds to elevate privileges. Microsoft identifies an accompanying integer overflow or wraparound weakness but has not disclosed the faulty function or operation that overruns the heap buffer. Exploitation requires low-privilege local access; successful exploitation grants higher privileges on the host.
Summary
What happened
A heap-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Windows Biometric Service allows local users on affected Windows builds to elevate privileges. Microsoft identifies an accompanying integer overflow or wraparound weakness but has not disclosed the faulty function or operation that overruns the heap buffer. Exploitation requires low-privilege local access; successful exploitation grants higher privileges on the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-72991
- Published
- Sep 8, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 10, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2019
- Classifications
- CWE-122, CWE-190, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 8, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 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=10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9245
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.
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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