{"id":"CVE-2026-96155","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2026-96155"],"related":[],"title":"Windows Audio Service: use-after-free lets a local user gain higher privileges","description":"Use after free in Windows Audio Service allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.","summary":"Use-after-free in the Windows Audio Service lets a local user with a low-privilege account gain higher privileges (CVSS 7.0, local, high complexity, per Microsoft). Microsoft lists fixed builds for Windows 10, Windows 11 and Windows Server 2016-2025.","severity":"high","cvss":7.0,"epss":null,"exploited":false,"exploited_at":null,"products":[{"name":"Windows Audio Service","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"Windows 11 24H2","fixed":["10.0.26100.9974"],"affected":">= 10.0.26100.0, < 10.0.26100.9974","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"Windows Server 2025","fixed":["10.0.26100.33822"],"affected":">= 10.0.26100.0, < 10.0.26100.33822","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"Windows Server 2022","fixed":["10.0.20348.5870"],"affected":">= 10.0.20348.0, < 10.0.20348.5870","ecosystem":"vendor"},{"name":"Windows 10 22H2","fixed":["10.0.19045.7846"],"affected":">= 10.0.19045.0, < 10.0.19045.7846","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["infrastructure","local","privilege-escalation","windows","windows-server"],"not_affected_if":["no-local-untrusted-users","no-local-users","patched-build"],"how_to_check":"Run winver or (Get-ComputerInfo).OsBuildNumber and compare the full build with the fixed one (e.g. Windows 11 24H2 needs 10.0.26100.9974 or later; Server 2022 needs 10.0.20348.5870 or later). Anything below is affected.","fix":"Install the November 2026 cumulative update that brings the OS to the fixed build: Win10 1607/Server 2016 10.0.14393.9688; 1809/Server 2019 10.0.17763.9487; Win10 21H2 10.0.19044.7846, 22H2 10.0.19045.7846; Win11 23H2 10.0.22631.7711; 24H2 10.0.26100.9974; 25H2 10.0.26200.9974; 26H1 10.0.28000.3501; 26H2 10.0.26300.9974; Server 2022 10.0.20348.5870; Server 2025 10.0.26100.33822.","status":"open","published_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:12+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:32+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-11-10T19:48:07+00:00","updated_at":"2026-11-10T19:51:47+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.6,"triage":{"at":"2026-11-10T19:48:07Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"unknown","reach":"local","title":"Windows Audio Service: use-after-free lets a local user gain higher privileges","impact":"high","summary":"A memory bug (use-after-free) in the Windows Audio Service lets an attacker who already has a local account raise their privileges. The sources do not say which Windows versions are affected or how the flaw is triggered.","audience":"businesses","category":"infrastructure","nicknames":[],"who_cares":["windows"],"confidence":0.6,"fix_status":"unknown","needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"local user gains SYSTEM-level privileges on the machine","analyst_note":"Check the Microsoft Security Update Guide entry for CVE-2026-96155 for affected Windows builds and the patch; the NVD text alone gives no versions or fix.","how_to_check":"unknown","plain_action":"","product_name":"Windows Audio Service","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["no-local-untrusted-users"],"who_is_affected":"Systems running the Windows Audio Service where someone already has a local user account. The sources do not list affected Windows builds or any non-default settings required.","user_interaction":"unknown","product_ecosystem":"vendor","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000672,"input_tokens":4478,"output_tokens":448,"severity_before":"high"},"analyst_status":"done","analyst_note":"Check the Microsoft Security Update Guide entry for CVE-2026-96155 for affected Windows builds and the patch; the NVD text alone gives no versions or fix.","search":"'-2025':87B '-2026':16A,19A '-96155':17A,20A '10':34A,80B '11':25A,82B '2016':86B '2022':32A '2025':29A '22h2':35A '24h2':26A '7.0':68B 'account':63B 'allow':95C 'attack':98C 'audio':2A,22A,52B,93C 'author':97C 'build':77B 'complex':71B 'cve':15A,18A 'cvss':67B 'elev':100C 'escal':40B 'fix':76B 'free':7A,48B,90C 'gain':12A,64B 'high':70B 'higher':13A,65B 'infrastructur':36B 'let':8A,54B 'list':75B 'local':10A,37B,56B,69B,102C 'low':61B 'low-privileg':60B 'microsoft':73B,74B 'per':72B 'privileg':14A,39B,62B,66B,101C 'privilege-escal':38B 'server':28A,31A,44B,85B 'servic':3A,53B,94C 'service':23A 'use':5A,46B,88C 'use-after-fre':4A,45B 'user':11A,57B 'window':1A,41B,43B,51B,79B,81B,84B,92C 'windows':21A,24A,27A,30A,33A 'windows-serv':42B","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":"Any Windows 10, Windows 11 or Windows Server machine below the fixed build is affected, but the attacker already needs a local account, so the risk is mostly shared machines, terminal/RDS servers, and as a second step after another compromise. Single-user machines with trusted users are lower priority; patch in the normal cycle.","tier":"B","verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"fix_status":"none","audience":"businesses","plain_action":null,"pkeys":["1022h2","1124h2","audioservice","server2022","server2025","windows1022h2","windows1124h2","windowsaudioservice","windowsserver2022","windowsserver2025"],"ptokens":["10","11","2022","2025","22h2","24h2","audio","server","service","windows"],"labels":["high","infrastructure","local","privilegeescalation","vendor","windows","windowsserver"],"campaign_type":null,"search_a":"'-2026':16A,19A '-96155':17A,20A '10':34A '11':25A '2022':32A '2025':29A '22h2':35A '24h2':26A 'audio':2A,22A 'cve':15A,18A 'free':7A 'gain':12A 'higher':13A 'let':8A 'local':10A 'privileg':14A 'server':28A,31A 'servic':3A 'service':23A 'use':5A 'use-after-fre':4A 'user':11A 'window':1A 'windows':21A,24A,27A,30A,33A","search_b":"'-2025':87B '10':80B '11':82B '2016':86B '7.0':68B 'account':63B 'audio':52B 'build':77B 'complex':71B 'cvss':67B 'escal':40B 'fix':76B 'free':48B 'gain':64B 'high':70B 'higher':65B 'infrastructur':36B 'let':54B 'list':75B 'local':37B,56B,69B 'low':61B 'low-privileg':60B 'microsoft':73B,74B 'per':72B 'privileg':39B,62B,66B 'privilege-escal':38B 'server':44B,85B 'servic':53B 'use':46B 'use-after-fre':45B 'user':57B 'window':41B,43B,51B,79B,81B,84B 'windows-serv':42B","search_c":"'allow':95C 'attack':98C 'audio':93C 'author':97C 'elev':100C 'free':90C 'local':102C 'privileg':101C 'servic':94C 'use':88C 'window':92C","cause_entry":null,"cause_path":null,"disclosures_checked_at":null,"first_public_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:12+00:00","kev":null,"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_by":"secure@microsoft.com","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2026-96155","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-96155","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:12+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:12+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:32+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:32+00:00","note":null},{"source":"analyst","external_id":"CVE-2026-96155:2566","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-96155","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-11-10T19:51:47+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-10T19:51:47+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:51:47+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-11-10T19:51:47+00:00","note":"MSRC page is JS-only and returned nothing; builds taken from Microsoft CNA data mirrored on NVD. Nothing verified. Exploitation/PoC not searched.","cites":["https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-96155"]}],"documents":[{"id":117706,"url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-96155","title":"NVD CVE-2026-96155 (Microsoft CNA data)","kind":"advisory","source":"analyst","publisher":null,"text":null,"published_at":null,"relation":"describes","confidence":null,"note":null}],"disclosures":[],"exploit_sources":[],"notice":"Free to read, with fair use of about 60 pages a minute. For higher limits or API access: sales@infrastack.ai"}