Release of invalid pointer or reference in Microsoft Windows - CVE-2026-96097
Published: November 11, 2026
Vulnerability identifier: #VU165735
CSH Severity: Low
CVSS v4: 7.3 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2026-96097
CWE-ID: CWE-763
Exploitation vector: Local access
Exploit availability:
No public exploit available
Vulnerability details
The vulnerability allows a local user to escalate privileges to SYSTEM.
The vulnerability exists due to release of an invalid pointer or reference in Windows Brokering File System when performing file system operations. A local user can trigger the affected operation locally to gain SYSTEM privileges.
Successful exploitation requires a memory allocation to fail at a particular point in the affected operation; this failure cannot be assumed to occur during normal use.
Affected software
Microsoft Windows
How to mitigate CVE-2026-96097
Install security update from vendor's website.
Microsoft Windows - addressed in versions 11 24H2 10.0.26100.9911, 11 24H2 10.0.26100.9974, 11 25H2 10.0.26200.9911, 11 25H2 10.0.26200.9974, 11 26H1 10.0.28000.3501