Windows usbaudio.sys: Privilege escalation via heap-based buffer overflow

Summary

The Windows USB Audio Class driver (usbaudio.sys) contains a heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122). An attacker with physical access to a device can run code with SYSTEM privileges, which affects Windows 10, Windows 11 and Windows Server systems that load the driver. Exploitation requires physical access and no privileges or user interaction, so the risk is mainly on shared, unattended or easily reachable computers.

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 (listed by a third party, not verified)
• 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 (including Server Core): 10.0.14393.0 before 10.0.14393.9688
• Windows Server 2019 (including Server Core): 10.0.17763.0 before 10.0.17763.9487
• Windows Server 2022: 10.0.20348.0 before 10.0.20348.5870
• The list may be incomplete, as the CVE record was truncated in retrieval.

Fixed in

Fixed in the Windows cumulative updates from November 2026 that bring the build numbers above or higher. The exact KB article numbers are unknown and must be taken from the MSRC advisory.

Workaround

Unknown. No vendor-documented workaround found; installing the update is the fix.

Exploitation

• No evidence of exploitation in the wild found; no CISA KEV listing found.
• CISA SSVC: exploitation none, automatable no, technical impact total.
• No public proof of concept found.

Our recommendation

• Install the November 2026 Windows cumulative update on all affected systems and verify the usbaudio.sys version afterwards.
• Restrict USB device installation and removable media via Group Policy or Intune device control.
• Enforce automatic screen lock and BitLocker, and secure unattended workstations, meeting rooms and reception areas.
• Prioritise this after internet-facing and remote-access systems, and monitor NVD and CISA KEV for updates.

Public exploits iAttack code is publicly available (PoC on GitHub, Metasploit or Exploit-DB).

PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.

Research sources

• Security Update Guide - Microsoft MSRC msrc.microsoft.com
• CVE Record CVE-2026-119829 www.cve.org
• Strix.ai CVE-2026-119829 www.strix.ai
• Senserva KB5131090 (related Windows Server 2022 update) senserva.com
• SentinelOne vulnerability database CVE-2026-58528 (usbaudio.sys component) www.sentinelone.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, 10:37.