{"id":"CVE-2026-96978","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2026-96978"],"related":[],"title":"Windows Credential User Interface: use-after-free lets a local user gain privileges","description":"Use after free in Windows Credential User Interface allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.","summary":"A use-after-free flaw in the Windows Credential User Interface lets an attacker who already has a local account raise their privileges. The sources describe no remote trigger.","severity":"high","cvss":7.0,"epss":null,"exploited":false,"exploited_at":null,"products":[],"ecosystems":[],"tags":["infrastructure","local-privilege-escalation","use-after-free","windows"],"not_affected_if":[],"how_to_check":"unknown: Microsoft's advisory lists the affected Windows builds and KB updates, but the page could not be read. Check https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96978 for your Windows version, then confirm the matching cumulative update is installed (Settings > Windows Update > Update history, or PowerShell Get-HotFix).","fix":null,"status":"open","published_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:20+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:33+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-11-10T19:48:00+00:00","updated_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:22+00:00","category":"infrastructure","confidence":0.4,"triage":{"at":"2026-11-10T19:48:00Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"unknown","reach":"local","title":"Windows Credential User Interface: use-after-free lets a local user gain privileges","impact":"high","summary":"A use-after-free flaw in the Windows Credential User Interface lets an attacker who already has a local account raise their privileges. The sources describe no remote trigger.","audience":"businesses","category":"infrastructure","nicknames":[],"who_cares":["windows"],"confidence":0.5,"fix_status":"unknown","needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"local user gains higher system privileges on the machine","analyst_note":"Confirm affected Windows builds and the Microsoft security update that fixes CVE-2026-96978 from the Microsoft Security Response Center advisory.","how_to_check":"unknown","plain_action":"","product_name":"","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":[],"who_is_affected":"Systems running Windows where a local user with an account can run code. The sources do not name affected Windows builds or whether any non-default setting is needed. unknown","user_interaction":"no","product_ecosystem":"","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.00064,"input_tokens":4482,"output_tokens":384,"severity_before":"high"},"analyst_status":"done","analyst_note":"Confirm affected Windows builds and the Microsoft security update that fixes CVE-2026-96978 from the Microsoft Security Response Center advisory.","search":"'-2026':16A,19A '-96978':17A,20A 'account':51B 'allow':69C 'alreadi':47B 'attack':45B,72C 'author':71C 'credenti':2A,40B,66C 'cve':15A,18A 'describ':57B 'elev':74C 'escal':25B 'flaw':36B 'free':8A,29B,35B,63C 'gain':13A 'infrastructur':21B 'interfac':4A,42B,68C 'let':9A,43B 'local':11A,23B,50B,76C 'local-privilege-escal':22B 'privileg':14A,24B,54B,75C 'rais':52B 'remot':59B 'sourc':56B 'trigger':60B 'use':6A,27B,33B,61C 'use-after-fre':5A,26B,32B 'user':3A,12A,41B,67C 'window':1A,30B,39B,65C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":"Systems running Windows where a local user with an account can run code. The sources do not name affected Windows builds or whether any non-default setting is needed. unknown","tier":"B","verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"fix_status":"unknown","audience":"businesses","plain_action":null,"pkeys":[],"ptokens":[],"labels":["high","infrastructure","localprivilegeescalation","useafterfree","windows"],"campaign_type":null,"search_a":"'-2026':16A,19A '-96978':17A,20A 'credenti':2A 'cve':15A,18A 'free':8A 'gain':13A 'interfac':4A 'let':9A 'local':11A 'privileg':14A 'use':6A 'use-after-fre':5A 'user':3A,12A 'window':1A","search_b":"'account':51B 'alreadi':47B 'attack':45B 'credenti':40B 'describ':57B 'escal':25B 'flaw':36B 'free':29B,35B 'infrastructur':21B 'interfac':42B 'let':43B 'local':23B,50B 'local-privilege-escal':22B 'privileg':24B,54B 'rais':52B 'remot':59B 'sourc':56B 'trigger':60B 'use':27B,33B 'use-after-fre':26B,32B 'user':41B 'window':30B,39B","search_c":"'allow':69C 'attack':72C 'author':71C 'credenti':66C 'elev':74C 'free':63C 'interfac':68C 'local':76C 'privileg':75C 'use':61C 'user':67C 'window':65C","cause_entry":null,"cause_path":null,"disclosures_checked_at":null,"first_public_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:20+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-2026-96978","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-96978","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:20+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:20+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-2026-96978:2559","url":null,"severity":null,"published_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:22+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:22+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:22+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:22+00:00","note":"MSRC page is JavaScript-rendered and the CVRF API gave nothing usable, so affected builds and KB are unconfirmed. Nothing is verified. CVSS 7.0 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L, local only, no exploitation or PoC known from the sources. Fix status set to unknown, not none, because no vendor page says there is no fix; it needs a manual read of MSRC. Exa search/X not used."}],"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"}