Windows Kernel: Elevation of privilege via race condition
Summary
A race condition (CWE-362) in the Windows kernel allows an authenticated local user to elevate privileges to SYSTEM level. The attacker needs a valid low-privileged account and must win a timing race, so exploitation is complex. Microsoft rates the flaw as not exploited, and no public proof of concept was found.
Affected
- Windows 10 Version 1607, 1809, 21H2 and 22H2
- Windows 11 Version 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1 and 26H2
- Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022 (including Server Core installations)
- Exact affected build ranges per product: see the MSRC update guide (vendor table not fully verified)
Fixed in
- Fixed in the November 10, 2026 Patch Tuesday security update
- Confirmed fixed builds from CVE record: 10.0.14393.9688 (1607/2016), 10.0.17763.9487 (1809/2019), 10.0.19044.7846 (21H2)
- Other product builds: unverified, see the MSRC update guide
Workaround
Unknown.
Exploitation
- Microsoft marks the vulnerability as not exploited (Exploited: No).
- CISA SSVC: exploitation none, not automatable, total technical impact.
- No public proof of concept found.
- Conflicting reports on Talos and other coverage; the single exploited November zero-day is reported as an Outlook flaw, not this CVE.
Our recommendation
- Install the November 2026 cumulative update on all affected Windows systems, starting with servers, Remote Desktop/terminal servers and multi-user or shared workstations.
- Check the MSRC update guide to confirm the fixed build for each product.
- Review which local accounts and service accounts exist on affected hosts and restrict them where possible.
- Monitor the exploitation status and apply the update within the normal monthly patch cycle.
Information from Microsoft (Patch Tuesday November 2026)
- Severity (Microsoft)
- Important
- Impact
- Elevation of privilege – Windows Kernel
- Status on Patch Tuesday
- Neither exploited nor publicly disclosed
- Exploitability assessment
- Exploitation more 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
- Microsoft Security Update Guide: CVE-2026-94514 msrc.microsoft.com
- CVE Record: CVE-2026-94514 www.cve.org
- Strix: CVE-2026-94514 (third-party, unverified versions) www.strix.ai
- Talos: Microsoft Patch Tuesday for November 2026 blog.talosintelligence.com
- CrowdStrike: Patch Tuesday analysis November 2026 www.crowdstrike.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, 08:07.
Original description (NVD)
Concurrent execution using shared resource with improper synchronization ('race condition') in Windows Kernel 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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