CVE-2026-85854: CWE-416: Use After Free in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809
Description
CVE-2026-85854 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Windows DWM Core Library affecting Windows 10 Version 1809 and later builds. This vulnerability allows an authorized local attacker to elevate privileges. The issue has a high severity score and has been officially fixed by Microsoft.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.0high
Affected software
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 11 Version 26H2
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-2026-85854) involves a use-after-free condition in the Windows Desktop Window Manager (DWM) Core Library. An authorized local attacker can exploit this flaw to elevate their privileges on affected Windows 10 systems. The vulnerability affects multiple Windows 10 versions starting from build 17763.0 up to various fixed builds below 17763.9376, 19044.7807, 22631.7652, 26100.9711, 26200.9711, 28000.3231, 26300.9711, 20348.5761, and 26100.33650 respectively. Microsoft has released official fixes for this vulnerability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows an authorized local attacker to elevate privileges, potentially gaining higher-level access on the affected system. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.0 (high), reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
Microsoft has released official patches to address this vulnerability. Users and administrators should apply the latest security updates from Microsoft for Windows 10 Version 1809 and affected builds to remediate this issue. No additional mitigation steps are indicated by the vendor advisory.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- microsoft
- Date Reserved
- 2026-09-04T18:15:10.738Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- official-fix
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-85854","vendor":"Microsoft"}]
Threat ID: 6ace85462cdf04f6569fec4c
Added to database: 10/13/2026, 19:23:50 UTC
Last enriched: 10/14/2026, 03:05:03 UTC
Last updated: 10/14/2026, 03:05:03 UTC
Views: 2
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