{"id":"CVE-2026-96994","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2026-96994"],"related":[],"title":"Windows Winsock: use-after-free lets a local user gain higher privileges","description":"Use after free in Winsock allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.","summary":"A use-after-free bug in the Windows Winsock networking component lets an authorized local user trigger memory corruption. An attacker with a low-privilege account can use it to elevate privileges on the machine.","severity":"high","cvss":7.0,"epss":null,"exploited":false,"exploited_at":null,"products":[],"ecosystems":[],"tags":["infrastructure","local-privilege-escalation","windows","winsock"],"not_affected_if":["no-local-accounts"],"how_to_check":"Compare the installed Windows build/KB (winver or Get-HotFix) against the MSRC Security Update Guide entry for CVE-2026-96994; any system without the November 2026 cumulative update is presumed exposed. Exact builds unknown.","fix":"Install the November 2026 Windows cumulative security update (MSRC lists this CVE in it). Exact KB and build numbers: unknown, see the MSRC Security Update Guide entry for CVE-2026-96994.","status":"open","published_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:22+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:34+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-11-10T19:48:00+00:00","updated_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:44+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 Winsock: use-after-free lets a local user gain higher privileges","impact":"high","summary":"A use-after-free bug in the Windows Winsock networking component lets an authorized local user trigger memory corruption. An attacker with a low-privilege account can use it to elevate privileges on the machine.","audience":"businesses","category":"infrastructure","nicknames":[],"who_cares":["windows","winsock"],"confidence":0.6,"fix_status":"unknown","needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"local user gains SYSTEM-level privileges on the machine","analyst_note":"Find affected Windows builds and the Microsoft security update that fixes CVE-2026-96994 from the Microsoft Security Response Center advisory.","how_to_check":"unknown","plain_action":"","product_name":"","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["no-local-accounts"],"who_is_affected":"Windows machines where a user already has a local account can be elevated to higher privileges through this flaw. The sources do not name affected Windows builds or whether a patch is available, so unknown. Systems where only trusted administrators log in are less exposed.","user_interaction":"unknown","product_ecosystem":"","needs_special_setup":"unknown","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.000668,"input_tokens":4470,"output_tokens":441,"severity_before":"high"},"analyst_status":"done","analyst_note":"Find affected Windows builds and the Microsoft security update that fixes CVE-2026-96994 from the Microsoft Security Response Center advisory.","search":"'-2026':15A,18A '-96994':16A,19A 'account':54B 'allow':69C 'attack':48B,72C 'author':41B,71C 'bug':32B 'compon':38B 'corrupt':46B 'cve':14A,17A 'elev':59B,74C 'escal':24B 'free':6A,31B,66C 'gain':11A 'higher':12A 'infrastructur':20B 'let':7A,39B 'local':9A,22B,42B,76C 'local-privilege-escal':21B 'low':52B 'low-privileg':51B 'machin':63B 'memori':45B 'network':37B 'privileg':13A,23B,53B,60B,75C 'trigger':44B 'use':4A,29B,56B,64C 'use-after-fre':3A,28B 'user':10A,43B 'window':1A,25B,35B 'winsock':2A,26B,36B,68C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":"Windows machines where a user already has a local account can be elevated to higher privileges through this flaw. The sources do not name affected Windows builds or whether a patch is available, so unknown. Systems where only trusted administrators log in are less exposed.","tier":"B","verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"fix_status":"none","audience":"businesses","plain_action":null,"pkeys":[],"ptokens":[],"labels":["high","infrastructure","localprivilegeescalation","windows","winsock"],"campaign_type":null,"search_a":"'-2026':15A,18A '-96994':16A,19A 'cve':14A,17A 'free':6A 'gain':11A 'higher':12A 'let':7A 'local':9A 'privileg':13A 'use':4A 'use-after-fre':3A 'user':10A 'window':1A 'winsock':2A","search_b":"'account':54B 'attack':48B 'author':41B 'bug':32B 'compon':38B 'corrupt':46B 'elev':59B 'escal':24B 'free':31B 'infrastructur':20B 'let':39B 'local':22B,42B 'local-privilege-escal':21B 'low':52B 'low-privileg':51B 'machin':63B 'memori':45B 'network':37B 'privileg':23B,53B,60B 'trigger':44B 'use':29B,56B 'use-after-fre':28B 'user':43B 'window':25B,35B 'winsock':26B,36B","search_c":"'allow':69C 'attack':72C 'author':71C 'elev':74C 'free':66C 'local':76C 'privileg':75C 'use':64C 'winsock':68C","cause_entry":null,"cause_path":null,"disclosures_checked_at":null,"first_public_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:22+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-2026-96994","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-96994","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:22+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-10T19:22:22+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:34+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-11-10T19:25:34+00:00","note":null},{"source":"analyst","external_id":"CVE-2026-96994:2558","url":"https://api.msrc.microsoft.com/cvrf/v3.0/updates/CVE-2026-96994","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:44+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:44+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:44+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-11-10T19:49:44+00:00","note":"MSRC API only confirms the CVE is in the November 2026 security updates (2026-11-10). The MSRC page is JS-only and the CVRF document came back empty, so affected builds and KB numbers are unread. Search hits for Winsock/AFD CVEs were other ids (e.g. CVE-2026-68820) and were not used. Revisit when the MSRC page or NVD detail is readable.","cites":["https://api.msrc.microsoft.com/cvrf/v3.0/updates/CVE-2026-96994"]}],"documents":[{"id":117696,"url":"https://api.msrc.microsoft.com/cvrf/v3.0/updates/CVE-2026-96994","title":"MSRC CVRF: CVE-2026-96994 listed in November 2026 Security Updates","kind":"advisory","source":"analyst","publisher":null,"text":"MSRC API lists CVE-2026-96994 under the November 2026 Security Updates (released 2026-11-10). No build or KB details retrievable.","published_at":null,"relation":"advisory","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"}