CVE-2026-21241CWE-416

Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

High · published February 10, 2026

CVSS v3.1
7.0
EPSS
3%
Percentile
85.2
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

⚡ A use-after-free flaw in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock could give an authorized attacker the keys to the local kingdom! 🔑 Think of it like an unwatched buffet where someone sneaks in after hours to grab the leftovers — if they know how to take advantage of the discarded plates, they can feast without anyone noticing! With this vulnerability, an attacker could elevate their privileges, gaining access to sensitive system functions and potentially wreaking havoc on your system. This could lead to unauthorized data changes, installation of malicious software, or even a full system compromise — absolutely devastating!

Put simply

Think of it like an unwatched buffet where someone sneaks in after hours to grab the leftovers — if they know how to take advantage of the discarded plates, they can feast without anyone noticing! This vulnerability arises when the system fails to properly manage memory during certain operations, allowing attackers to exploit freed memory in unintended ways to gain higher access levels.

What to do

With this vulnerability, an attacker could elevate their privileges, gaining access to sensitive system functions and potentially wreaking havoc on your system. This could lead to unauthorized data changes, installation of malicious software, or even a full system compromise — absolutely devastating! To safeguard your systems, ensure you apply the latest patches provided by Microsoft. Regularly audit user privileges to detect any anomalies, and implement strict access controls to prevent unauthorized actions. 🛡️ You've got this! Stay proactive, and you can fortify your defenses against this vulnerability! 💪✨

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
7.0 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.02602 · 85.2th percentile
Weakness
CWE-416 · Use After Free
Published
2026-02-10T17:51Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 10 FEB 17:51Z
    Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
    cvelistv5