CVE-2026-21238CWE-284

Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

High · published February 10, 2026

CVSS v3.1
7.8
EPSS
3%
Percentile
88.7
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

⚡ A local user could elevate privileges with a crafty maneuver in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock! Think of this as someone sneaking into the back office of a restaurant, bypassing the main entrance to access the manager's secret recipe book — it means gaining access to powerful resources they shouldn't have access to! An attacker with local access could gain control over administrative rights, leading to a full takeover of the system. This could result in unauthorized data access, system changes, or even malware deployment — a recipe for disaster!

Put simply

Think of this as someone sneaking into the back office of a restaurant, bypassing the main entrance to access the manager's secret recipe book — it means gaining access to powerful resources they shouldn't have access to! This vulnerability arises from improper access control, allowing an authorized user to exploit the driver and elevate their privileges beyond intended limits. Essentially, it's a loophole that breaks the wall of security meant to protect critical system functions.

What to do

An attacker with local access could gain control over administrative rights, leading to a full takeover of the system. This could result in unauthorized data access, system changes, or even malware deployment — a recipe for disaster! Update your Windows systems to the latest patch to address CVE-2026-21238, ensuring all users have appropriate permissions. Conduct a security audit to verify user access levels and eliminate any unnecessary privileges. You've got this! Stay vigilant, patch those systems, and you'll keep your environment secure! 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
7.8 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.03378 · 88.7th percentile
Weakness
CWE-284 · Improper Access Control
Published
2026-02-10T17:51Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 10 FEB 17:51Z
    Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
    cvelistv5