CVE-2026-96254: CWE-416: Use After Free in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 21H2
Description
Use after free in Windows USB Print Driver allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.0high
Affected software
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 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-2026-96254) involves a use-after-free condition in the Windows USB Print Driver component of Microsoft Windows 10 Version 21H2 and other specified builds. An authorized attacker with local access can exploit this flaw to elevate their privileges on the affected system. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.0, indicating high severity, with attack vector local, high attack complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Microsoft has published an official fix for this vulnerability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation allows a local authorized attacker to elevate privileges, potentially gaining higher-level access to the affected system. This can lead to full system compromise depending on the privileges gained. The vulnerability affects confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.
Mitigation Recommendations
Microsoft has released an official fix for this vulnerability. It is recommended to apply the security updates provided by Microsoft as detailed in their advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96254. No additional mitigations are specified beyond applying the official patch.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- microsoft
- Date Reserved
- 2026-09-22T19:05:22.815Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- official-fix
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96254","vendor":"Microsoft"}]
Threat ID: 6ace85752cdf04f656a00466
Added to database: 10/13/2026, 19:24:37 UTC
Last enriched: 10/14/2026, 00:33:39 UTC
Last updated: 10/14/2026, 04:04:33 UTC
Views: 4
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