Microsoft Windows Print Spooler Components: Heap-based buffer overflow enables local privilege escalation
Summary
A heap-based buffer overflow in the Windows Print Spooler Components allows an attacker with local, low-privileged access to elevate privileges. Successful exploitation can give the attacker SYSTEM-level control with high impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability. The attacker must already have a valid local account or a foothold on the system, and no user interaction is required.
Affected
- Windows 10 Version 1607 (10.0.14393.0 before 10.0.14393.9688)
- Windows 10 Version 1809 (10.0.17763.0 before 10.0.17763.9487)
- Windows 10 Version 21H2 (10.0.19044.0 before 10.0.19044.7846)
- Windows 10 Version 22H2 (10.0.19045.0 before 10.0.19045.7846)
- Windows 11 Version 23H2 (10.0.22631.0 before 10.0.22631.7711)
- Windows 11 Version 24H2 (10.0.26100.0 before 10.0.26100.9974)
- Windows 11 Version 25H2 (10.0.26200.0 before 10.0.26200.9974)
- Windows 11 Version 26H1 (10.0.28000.0 before 10.0.28000.3501)
- Windows 11 Version 26H2 (10.0.26300.0 before 10.0.26300.9974)
- Windows Server 2016 incl. Server Core (10.0.14393.0 before 10.0.14393.9688)
- Windows Server 2019 incl. Server Core (10.0.17763.0 before 10.0.17763.9487)
- Windows Server 2022 (10.0.20348.0 before 10.0.20348.5870)
Fixed in
- Fixed builds per the CVE record (CNA Microsoft): 10.0.14393.9688, 10.0.17763.9487, 10.0.19044.7846, 10.0.19045.7846, 10.0.22631.7711, 10.0.26100.9974, 10.0.26200.9974, 10.0.28000.3501, 10.0.26300.9974, 10.0.20348.5870
- Corresponding KB article numbers: Unknown. Check the MSRC Security Update Guide.
Workaround
- No vendor-documented workaround known.
- General measure on systems that do not print: stop and disable the Print Spooler service. Test first, as this can break printing and some line-of-business applications.
Exploitation
- Microsoft's exploitation flag: Unknown.
- CISA SSVC: Exploitation none, Automatable no, Technical Impact total.
- No known in-the-wild exploitation and no public proof of concept found at the time of writing.
- The CVSS temporal vector indicates unproven exploit code maturity (E:U).
Our recommendation
- Apply the November 2026 cumulative updates on all affected Windows systems, prioritising servers, domain controllers, RDS/terminal servers and shared multi-user PCs.
- Check whether Windows 10 1607 and 1809 are still supported or covered by ESU before relying on patches.
- Inventory where the Print Spooler service is running and disable it on systems that do not need printing.
- Monitor NVD and CISA KEV for changes, as NVD analysis was still pending.
Information from Microsoft (Patch Tuesday November 2026)
- Severity (Microsoft)
- Important
- Impact
- Elevation of privilege – Windows Print Spooler Components
- Status on Patch Tuesday
- Neither exploited nor publicly disclosed
- Exploitability assessment
- Exploitation less likely
- Product family
- Windows, Windows ESU (Extended Security Updates)
- Updates (KB)
- KB5131291, KB5131085, KB5131096, KB5131090, KB5131087, KB5132061
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- CVE Record CVE-2026-112981 www.cve.org
- MSRC Security Update Guide CVE-2026-112981 msrc.microsoft.com
- We-Fix-PC: November 2026 Patch Tuesday we-fix-pc.com
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 11 Nov 2026, 04:14.
Original description (NVD)
Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Print Spooler Components allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
NVD references (1)
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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