CVE-2026-72963: CWE-416: Use After Free in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607
Description
Use after free in Windows Modern Execution Server allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.0high
Affected software
Microsoft
Windows 10 Version 1607
Microsoft
Windows 10 Version 1809
Microsoft
Windows 10 Version 21H2
Microsoft
Windows 10 Version 22H2
Microsoft
Windows 11 version 23H2
Microsoft
Windows 11 Version 23H2
Microsoft
Windows 11 Version 24H2
Microsoft
Windows 11 Version 25H2
Microsoft
Windows 11 version 26H1
Microsoft
Windows Server 2016
Microsoft
Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)
Microsoft
Windows Server 2019
Microsoft
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)
Microsoft
Windows Server 2022
Microsoft
Windows Server 2025
Microsoft
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation)
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability (CVE-2026-72963) involves a use-after-free condition in the Windows Modern Execution Server on Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607. An authorized attacker with local access can exploit this flaw to elevate their privileges on the affected system. The issue affects multiple builds of Windows 10, specifically versions starting from 10.0.14393.0 up to but not including various patched builds such as 10.0.14393.9512 and others. Microsoft has published an official fix to address this vulnerability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an authorized local attacker to elevate privileges, potentially gaining higher-level access than intended. This can lead to full system compromise depending on the privileges escalated to. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability as indicated by the CVSS vector.
Mitigation Recommendations
An official fix is available from Microsoft. Users and administrators should apply the security updates provided by Microsoft for the affected Windows 10 versions to remediate this vulnerability. Refer to the Microsoft Security Response Center advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72963 for detailed update information.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- microsoft
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-10T18:36:42.029Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- official-fix
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72963","vendor":"Microsoft"}]
Threat ID: 6aa04548acd9273b49fa9d27
Added to database: 09/08/2026, 17:26:32 UTC
Last enriched: 10/14/2026, 21:49:58 UTC
Last updated: 10/23/2026, 15:10:14 UTC
Views: 21
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