{"id":"CVE-2026-96973","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2026-96973"],"related":[],"title":"Windows: use-after-free in EFS lets a local user gain privileges","description":"Use after free in Windows Encrypting File System (EFS) allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.","summary":"Microsoft/NVD describe a use-after-free in the Windows Encrypting File System (EFS) that lets an authorized local attacker elevate privileges (CVSS 7.0, AV:L/AC:H/PR:L). No exploitation or public PoC is reported in the sources. Affected builds and the fixing update are not yet confirmed.","severity":"high","cvss":7.0,"epss":null,"exploited":false,"exploited_at":null,"products":[],"ecosystems":[],"tags":["efs","infrastructure","local-privilege-escalation","windows"],"not_affected_if":["no-untrusted-local-users"],"how_to_check":"Run winver or systeminfo to get the Windows version and build. Compare it with the Affected products table on https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96973 once Microsoft lists the updates. As of now the affected builds and KB articles are unknown from the sources read. Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update.","fix":null,"status":"open","published_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:19+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:33+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-11-10T19:48:03+00:00","updated_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:08+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.5,"triage":{"at":"2026-11-10T19:48:03Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"unknown","reach":"local","title":"Windows: use-after-free in EFS lets a local user gain privileges","impact":"high","summary":"A use-after-free bug in the Windows Encrypting File System (EFS) lets an attacker who already has a local account raise their privileges. The sources give no further detail on exploitation.","audience":"businesses","category":"infrastructure","nicknames":[],"who_cares":["windows","efs"],"confidence":0.6,"fix_status":"unknown","needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"local user gains SYSTEM-level privileges on the machine","analyst_note":"Find Microsoft's advisory for CVE-2026-96973 to confirm affected Windows builds and the fixed update.","how_to_check":"- Confirm the Windows version and build with `winver` or `systeminfo`\n- Compare the build against Microsoft's security update guide entry for CVE-2026-96973 (unknown from these sources)","plain_action":"","product_name":"","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["no-untrusted-local-users"],"who_is_affected":"Any Windows machine that uses EFS and where untrusted or low-privileged users can log on locally is in scope. The sources do not list affected Windows builds or whether EFS must be actively used. unknown","user_interaction":"no","product_ecosystem":"","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000687,"input_tokens":4492,"output_tokens":475,"severity_before":"high"},"analyst_status":"done","analyst_note":"Find Microsoft's advisory for CVE-2026-96973 to confirm affected Windows builds and the fixed update.","search":"'-2026':15A,18A '-96973':16A,19A '7.0':50B 'affect':65B 'allow':84C 'attack':46B,87C 'author':44B,86C 'av':51B 'build':66B 'confirm':74B 'cve':14A,17A 'cvss':49B 'describ':28B 'ef':7A,20B,40B,83C 'elev':47B,89C 'encrypt':37B,80C 'escal':25B 'exploit':56B 'file':38B,81C 'fix':69B 'free':5A,33B,77C 'gain':12A 'h/pr':53B 'infrastructur':21B 'l':54B 'l/ac':52B 'let':8A,42B 'local':10A,23B,45B,91C 'local-privilege-escal':22B 'microsoft/nvd':27B 'poc':59B 'privileg':13A,24B,48B,90C 'public':58B 'report':61B 'sourc':64B 'system':39B,82C 'updat':70B 'use':3A,31B,75C 'use-after-fre':2A,30B 'user':11A 'window':1A,26B,36B,79C 'yet':73B","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":"Any Windows machine that uses EFS and where untrusted or low-privileged users can log on locally is in scope. The sources do not list affected Windows builds or whether EFS must be actively used. unknown","tier":"B","verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"fix_status":"unknown","audience":"businesses","plain_action":null,"pkeys":[],"ptokens":[],"labels":["efs","high","infrastructure","localprivilegeescalation","windows"],"campaign_type":null,"search_a":"'-2026':15A,18A '-96973':16A,19A 'cve':14A,17A 'ef':7A 'free':5A 'gain':12A 'let':8A 'local':10A 'privileg':13A 'use':3A 'use-after-fre':2A 'user':11A 'window':1A","search_b":"'7.0':50B 'affect':65B 'attack':46B 'author':44B 'av':51B 'build':66B 'confirm':74B 'cvss':49B 'describ':28B 'ef':20B,40B 'elev':47B 'encrypt':37B 'escal':25B 'exploit':56B 'file':38B 'fix':69B 'free':33B 'h/pr':53B 'infrastructur':21B 'l':54B 'l/ac':52B 'let':42B 'local':23B,45B 'local-privilege-escal':22B 'microsoft/nvd':27B 'poc':59B 'privileg':24B,48B 'public':58B 'report':61B 'sourc':64B 'system':39B 'updat':70B 'use':31B 'use-after-fre':30B 'window':26B,36B 'yet':73B","search_c":"'allow':84C 'attack':87C 'author':86C 'ef':83C 'elev':89C 'encrypt':80C 'file':81C 'free':77C 'local':91C 'privileg':90C 'system':82C 'use':75C 'window':79C","cause_entry":null,"cause_path":null,"disclosures_checked_at":null,"first_public_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:19+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-2026-96973","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-96973","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:19+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:19+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:33+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:33+00:00","note":null},{"source":"analyst","external_id":"CVE-2026-96973:2560","url":null,"severity":null,"published_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:08+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:08+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:08+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:08+00:00","note":"MSRC page (JS-only) returned no build/KB data; CVRF API empty. Only NVD text available. No affected builds or fix confirmed; nothing verified. Revisit when MSRC lists KBs."}],"documents":[],"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"}